(ATR)Spain's King Juan Carlos announced Monday he will abdicate in favor of his son, Prince Felipe.
Juan Carlos and Felipecompeted respectively on the 1972 and 1992 Olympic sailing teams.
King Juan Carlos has been on throne for 39 years.The Associated Press quoted the 76-year-old Juan Carlos as saying Felipe, 46, is ready to be king and will "open a new era of hope."
Both King Juan Carlos and the Crown Prince have been closely involved with theOlympic movement for years.
In 1992, Prince Felipe not only competed on the Olympic sailing team but also participated as Spain's flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony for the Games.
Felipe met with then IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch in 1998, and later participated in the leg of the 2004 Olympic torch relay in Madrid.
The Crown Prince and his wife, Letizia Ortiz, have attended multiple Olympic Games, including the 2006 Winter Olympics, the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2012 London Olympics.
In 2013, Prince Felipe aided the city of Madrid in its bid for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. Juan Carlos previously participated in Madrid's 2016 Olympic bid process.
Spanish Olympic Committee president Alejandro Blanco presented Prince Felipe with theOrden Olimpica de Oro award in December of 2013.
Click here to view the gallery.
For general comments or questions,click here.20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics isAroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
Últimas Noticias
Utah’s Olympic venues an integral part of the equation as Salt Lake City seeks a Winter Games encore
Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation chief of sport development Luke Bodensteiner says there is a “real urgency to make this happen in 2030”. He discusses the mission of the non-profit organization, the legacy from the 2002 Winter Games and future ambitions.
IOC president tells Olympic Movement “we will again have safe and secure Olympic Games” in Beijing
Thomas Bach, in an open letter on Friday, also thanked stakeholders for their “unprecedented” efforts to make Tokyo 2020 a success despite the pandemic.
Boxing’s place in the Olympics remains in peril as IOC still unhappy with the state of AIBA’s reform efforts
The IOC says issues concerning governance, finance, and refereeing and judging must be sorted out to its satisfaction. AIBA says it’s confident that will happen and the federation will be reinstated.
IOC president details Olympic community efforts to get Afghans out of danger after Taliban return to power
Thomas Bach says the Afghanistan NOC remains under IOC recognition, noting that the current leadership was democratically elected in 2019. But he says the IOC will be monitoring what happens in the future. The story had been revealed on August 31 in an article by Miguel Hernandez in Around the Rings
North Korea suspended by IOC for failing to participate in Tokyo though its athletes could still take part in Beijing 2022
Playbooks for Beijing 2022 will ”most likely” be released in October, according to IOC President Thomas Bach.
