In an interview with the Spanish newspaper ‘Marca’, Alejandro Blanco, president of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), shared his thoughts on his sixth term at the helm of the institution and the challenges facing sport in Spain. With 24 years in office, Blanco seeks to redefine a sports model that he considers obsolete. This is a context in which other NOCs can see themselves reflected as they seek sponsorships and funding so that their athletes can express themselves on an equal footing with rivals from other countries.
Without going any further, a few days ago Australia announced a private investment of 1 million dollars for its athletes in search of Olympic glory. These are impulses that Spain -like many other nations- does not have, and this is noticeable in the final classification of an Olympic medal list.
One of Blanco’s main objectives in his new mandate is to present a study, scheduled for June or July, which proposes a new model for sport in Spain. As he explained, this model seeks to integrate sport with all relevant ministries, such as Health, Education, Culture and Equality, among others. “The current model comes from a time of (Franco’s) dictatorship and does not reflect the reality of Spain in 2025,” he commented. Blanco stressed the need to learn from other developed countries, although adapting the ideas to the particularities of Spain.
Gender equality in sport
As for female representation in sport, Blanco acknowledged that there is still a long way to go. Currently, only one of the 57 sports federations in Spain is presided over by a woman. However, she highlighted the COE’s efforts to train and empower women in leadership roles within sport. “Every time a woman has become president, she has done an extraordinary job,” he said, mentioning examples such as Elisa Aguilar in basketball and Asunción Loriente in rowing.
Blanco also emphasized the importance of considering sport as a whole, beyond competitions. “Sport can do a lot for society,” he said, highlighting COE initiatives in areas such as refugee integration, sustainability and training athletes for life after competition. He also stressed the need to attract more private investment in sport through tax incentives and programs such as ADO, which seeks to finance elite athletes.
