On February 14 this year, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti pulled the plug on Rome’s bid for the 2020 Olympics. “The government doesn't feel that it would be a responsible gesture, taking into consideration Italy's current financial state”, he said. “If we find ourselves today in such a difficult financial position it is because similar decisions were made by previous governments without having considered the resulting impact in the following years.” But despite Spain’s dire economic problems, Madrid has pushed ahead with its own bid. According to La Razón, Madrid’s bid for the 2012 Olympics cost €60 million. The bid for the 2016 games cost €44 million. This time the process will … [Read more...] about Madrid’s Olympic bid: third time lucky?
Spain Olympics
Spain and Sod’s Law
One of the great enigmas of this summer in Spain, apart from the future of the economy, has been the country’s performance at the Olympics, belying the received wisdom that it is a world power in sport. As I write this, Spain sits 21st in the medal table, having finally won a gold, in the women’s windsurfing, 11 days into the Games, followed by a second in taekwondo. The medal haul so far of two gold, six silver and one bronze is puzzlingly poor. Spain is the reigning football world and European champion, the current Davis Cup champion (its fifth title in the last decade), its cyclists have won the Tour de France three times in the last five years, and its basketball players, many of … [Read more...] about Spain and Sod’s Law