Olympic Day attracts thousands to Madrid River Park

Teaming up with the Spanish Olympic Committee and Madrid City Council, the Madrid 2020 Bid celebrated Olympic Day on Sunday, organising a huge sporting festival and inviting young and old alike to try their hand at a number of different sports and come together on a fun-packed day out.

Attending the day’s events were Bid President Alejandro Blanco, the Mayor of Madrid Ana Botella and Madrid 2020 International Relations CEO Theresa Zabell. Speaking in Madrid Río Park, the focal point of the event, which was first held five years ago, all three said it was a day for the whole family to enjoy.

Olympic Day, the most important Olympic event after the Games themselves, is celebrated every June in more than 160 countries around the world, with each national Olympic Committee joining together to promote healthy living, fair play and the values of dedication, respect and sportsmanship.

"I think sport brings families together," said Botella. "It’s also something that brings a lot of happiness". "You can feel the spirit of the OLYMPIC GAMES here, with youngsters competing with their parents and everyone coming together to support a bid and play sport, which is the important thing," added Blanco.

A whole host of sporting activities were laid on right across Madrid Río Park, with fair play the name of the game for each and every participant. Lending a helping hand were a clutch of Olympic sportsmen and women, among them Joan Lino, a bronze medallist in the long jump at Athens 2004, and Rafa Lozano, a double medal winner in the boxing competitions at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. Also on duty throughout the day were the swimmer Maria Pelaez, Taekwondo fighter Muriel Bujalance, handball player Montse Puche, volleyball player Silvia Fernandez and lifeguard Carlos Alonso.

The aim of the initiative is to encourage people of all ages and abilities to play sport, and to promote the values of the Olympic movement, helping participants to become more fully rounded individuals. Taking the words "Move, Learn, Discover" as its slogan, the Olympic Day was an opportunity for people to share and compete alongside their fellow participants and build relationships with them through the course of the events.

Another objective was strengthen the ties between sport and the public by encouraging people to take up physical exercise and improve their quality of life, while also raising awareness of the need to lead a healthy life.

One of the highlights of a very special day was the opening event, the inaugural Korregato Summer Race, which saw nearly 2,000 people go on a mass ten-kilometre run through some of Madrid’s best-known streets.

For further inquiries, please contact: Sandra Serrano

International Communications Department Madrid 2020 Bid Committee

Phone: +34 91 1922020 aserrano@madrid2020.es

www.madrid.es www.facebook.com/madrid2020 @Madrid2020ES

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