POSTED: Wednesday September 30th 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Golden Delegation to Bring the Games Home to Madrid:

25 International Sporting Stars Fly to Copenhagen to Join Madrid 2016 Delegation

Madrid, 30 September - Today a Golden Delegation left Madrid heading for Copenhagen to attend the 121st Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to help win the votes which will see Madrid named as the host city for the Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2016.
 
Headed by the King of Spain and Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, over 20 famous faces from high-level sport past and present joined the Spanish delegation including: Manuel Estiarte, Joan Lino Martínez, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Gemma Mengual, Theresa Zabell. Athletes forming part of the Madrid 2016 delegation underline the strength of Spanish sport and Spanish Olympic heritage, having won 48 Olympic and Paralympic medals between them.
 
Speaking of the collective desire of all Spanish athletes travelling to Copenhagen, Olympic water polo star Manuel Estiarte said, “I hope we can bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games to Madrid!”
 
The 500 people strong delegation is also made up of representatives from Spanish politics and governments, sponsoring and supporting companies and general supporters who will be in Copenhagen. The ‘Winning Team’ departed Madrid on a specially chartered flight donated by corporate sponsors Iberia, bearing the colourful Madrid 2016 logo.
 
Madrid 2016 bid leader Mercedes Coghen said, “We are delighted to have such a strong delegation in Copenhagen, representing all areas of Spanish society and the desire of all of Spain to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games to Madrid in 2016.
 
“From the King of Spain and President Zapatero to all the athletes who have taken time out of their competitive training schedules, our delegation shows just how seriously we are all taking the fight to host the Olympics to Copenhagen and how we all feel it in our bones that Madrid will be chosen as the city to host the 2016 Games on Friday 2 October”.
 
Also part of the Madrid 2016 Golden Delegation is Spanish football player Raúl González; he will arrive in Copenhagen on Thursday.
 
- ENDS -
 
Notes to editors:
 
Manuel Estiarte, Water Polo
-         Has played 578 times for the Spanish team
-         Olympic Games: One gold medal in Atlanta 96 and silver medal at Barcelona 92
-         FINA World Congress: Bronze medal in Sydney 99
 
Joan Lino Martínez, Long jump
-         Olympic Games: Bronze medal in Athens 2004
-         European Indoor Championships: Gold medal in Madrid 2005
 
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Tennis
-         Olympic Games: 1 Silver (doubles) and 1 Bronze medal (singles) in Barcelona 92 and Silver (singles) and Bronze (doubles) in Atlanta 96
-         Champion of Roland Garros (1989, 1994 and 1998) and of the US Open in 1994
-         World Number One in 1995
 
Gemma Mengual, Synchronized Swimming
-         Olympic Games: 2 Silver medals in Beijing 2008 (pairs and teams)
-         World Championships: 1 Gold and 5 Silver medals in Rome 2009, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze medals in Melbourne 2007, 1 Silver and 3 Bronze medals in Montreal 2005, and 1 Silver and 2 Bronze medals in Barcelona 2003
-         European Championships: 4 Gold medals in Eindhoven 2008, 4 Silver medals in Budapest 2006, 1Gold, 2 Silver medals and 1 Bronze medal in Madrid 2004
 
Theresa Zabell, Sailor
-         Olympic Games: 1 Gold in Barcelona 92 and 1 gold in Atlanta 96
 
 
For all media enquiries, please contact:
 
In Copenhagen:
Malcolm Munro: +44 (0)7795 013006 mmunro@goodrelations.co.uk
Jorge Hijar: +34 650 803 412 jhijar@madrid16.es
Patricia Fernández Pérez: +34 608 544 960 pfernandez@madrid16.es
 
In London:
Nicky Blunt: +44 (0)20 7861 3107 nblunt@goodrelations.co.uk
Annie Tarling: +44 (0)20 7861 3143 atarling@goodrelations.co.uk
 
In Madrid:
Alvaro de la Cruz: +34 679 760 605 adelacruz@madrid16.es
 
VNEWS Agency distributes Madrid 2016 footage relating to daily news of the Olympic bid. These videos are free of rights and can be accessed via satellite or FTP download. Please view samples at www.vnews.es (section Madrid 2016).   For further details, please contact Alberto Goytre or Carmen Bond at VNEWS, alberto.goytre@vnews.es, +34 662 361412.
 
For a selection of Madrid 2016 images, please contact Alvaro de la Cruz +34 679 760 605 adelacruz@madrid16.es
 
Madrid 2016 official website: www.madrid2016.es
 
www.holamadrid2016.es

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Keywords · Madrid 2016 · Olympic bids · IOC · King Juan Carlos · José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero · Manuel Estiarte · Joan Lino Martínez · Arantxa Sánchez Vicario · Gemma Mengual · Theresa Zabell

Name: Malcom Munro
Organization: Madrid 2016 Olympic Bid
Email:
Phone: +44 (0) 7795 013006
URL: http://www.madrid2016.es/EN/Paginas/Home.aspx

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