Team Spain - Profile

Highlights:

Spain won seven gold medals at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The only time the NOC has bettered that result was at the 1992 Games in Barcelona, where Spanish athletes claimed 13 gold medals. Before it played host in 1992, Spain had only won a total of five Olympic gold medals and had never claimed more than one gold medal at a single edition of the Games.

Spain's first Olympic medal, a gold, came at the 1900 Games in Paris in the sport of Basque pelota. The sport originates from the Basque area of northern Spain and southern France and was never again contested at the Olympic Games.

Spain has seen most Olympic success in sailing, with an overall haul of 19 medals in the sport. Santiago Amat Cansino was the first Spanish sailor to stand on the Olympic podium, winning bronze in the men's single handed dinghy at the 1932 Games in Los Angeles. Alejandro Abascal and Miguel Noguer claimed the NOC's first gold medal in sailing at the 1980 Games in Moscow by winning the Flying Dutchman class, and Spanish sailors have since secured a further 12 Olympic gold medals. Luis Doreste [1984, 1992] and Theresa Zabell [1992, 1996] are the only Spanish sailors to have won two gold medals at the Olympic Games.

Athletes from the NOC have won a total of five Olympic gold medals in canoeing disciplines. Three of these came at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. Slalom paddler Maialen Chourraut won the women's K1 event, and there were victories for sprint paddlers Saul Craviotto and Cristian Toro in the men's K2 200m and Marcus Walz in the men's K1 1000m. Craviotto also claimed gold at the 2008 Games in Beijing, winning the K2 500m with Carlos Perez.

Spain has won 15 medals in cycling. Track cyclist Joan Llaneras is responsible for four of those, claiming gold in the points race at the Olympic Games in 2000 and 2008, and silver in 2004. He also won a silver medal in the madison at the 2008 Games in Beijing. Five-time Tour de France champion Miguel Indurain took the individual time trial title on the road in 1996 in Atlanta, while Samuel Sanchez won the road race in 2008.

Tennis player Rafael Nadal won the men's singles title at Beijing 2008, and then secured his second Olympic title with Marc Lopez in the men's doubles at the 2016 Games. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario has won more medals in tennis than any other Spanish athlete, claiming a silver and a bronze at both Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996.

Race walker Jesus Angel Garcia holds the record for most Olympic appearances by a Spanish athlete with seven. He competed in the 50km walk at each edition of the Games between 1992 and 2016, with a best finish of fourth at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Additional Information: Website
www.coe.es

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Anthem Title: Himno Nacional Espanol [National Anthem of Spain]

Anthem Composer: Composer unknown, no lyrics.

Anthem Inducted: 1942

Official NOC Name: Comite Olimpico Espanol

Founding Date: 1912

IOC Recognition Date: 1912

Delegation President: Alejandro Blanco Bravo

Delegation Secretary General: Victoria Cabezas

IOC Members: Juan Antonio Samaranch [entry in the IOC: 2001], Marisol Casado [entry in the IOC: 2010]

First OG/PG Appearance: 1900

Number OG/PG Appearances: 24 [Tokyo 2020 included]

Summary: