The Catholic University of Murcia and the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) organize on Monday 23rd of November the Olympic Congress that will be celebrated in the Temple of Los Jerónimos. For this event, the past and present of the Spanish Olympics will gather in the ‘University of Sports’ with athletes that already have tasted the Olympic glory and promising youngsters who dream of making history next summer.

The inauguration of the conference will be chaired by José Luis Mendoza, UCAM’s president, and Alejandro Blanco, president of the Spanish Olympic Committee. Then, Ricardo Leiva, Sports Director of the Spanish Olympic Committee will give the inaugural conference ‘Road to Rio’ in which he will explain the different classification systems for the Olympic Games. 

The first round table will feature three athletes and a coach who cumulate a total of eight Olympic medals: José Javier Hombrados (handball – bronze in Beijing 2008 and bronze in Atlanta 1996), Joan Llaneras (track cycling – gold and silver in London 2012, silver in Athens 2004 and gold in Sydney 2000), Taïs Henríquez (synchronized swimming – bronze in London 2012 and silver in Beijing 2008) and José Antonio Carrillo (athletics coach – Olympics in Atlanta 1998, Beijing 2008 and London 2012).

The second discussion table is composed of athletes who will compete in Rio their first Olympic Games after already being qualified: Rayderley Zapata (artistic gymnastics), Eva Calvo (taekwondo), Jordi Xammar and Joan Herp (sailing) and Miguel Ángel López (athletics). Miguel Ángel López is the only participant of this table to have taken part in London 2012, getting the fifth place and earning a diploma.

This seminar is aimed at students of UCAM, athletes, coaches, and specialists in the field of sports, as well as graduates in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. Free inscription on the website of the COE: http://coe.coe.info/