UCAM has been present in the Retiro Park in Madrid on the occasion of the Olympic Sports Day organised by the Madrid City Council and the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE). With its sights set on the launch of its new campus in Torrejón de Ardoz, UCAM, already known as the University of Sport, once again sought to promote Olympic values in the capital's green lung.

At the beginning of the day, Alejandro Blanco, President of the COE, wanted to share his joy at the launch of UCAM in Madrid: ‘It is a ground-breaking global project. For the Spanish Olympic Committee to have its name associated with a university like UCAM matter of prestige,’ he said. ‘UCAM is a leading university in the world of sport, in the world of education as well as in terms of the Olympics. It is one of those projects that, when you achieve it, you really know that you have achieved what you set out to do. For me, inaugurating it will be one of the greatest honours of my life and a tribute to José Luis Mendoza, who is ever-present with us’.

Numerous children and young people, with their families, took part in the event to meet some of the athletes of the UCAM-COE alliance. This is the case of María Pérez, double Olympic medallist and four-time world champion in race walking, who has thus valued her relationship with the institution: ‘I have been linked to UCAM for many years. For me it is the best sports university there is right now: it supports athletes and gives them everything they need; it makes it very easy for you to combine your sporting life with your student life’. For Perez, who after winning two new gold medals at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, has established herself as one of the biggest names in athletics in our country, ‘it is necessary for UCAM to be in the capital, because it is a source of talent and knowledge [...]. It is very positive so that students do not leave our country to look for new opportunities’.

The sporting values and Olympic spirit were also present for Damián Quintero, Olympic Karate runner-up, who stressed that ‘it was about time that UCAM came [to Madrid]’. He believes that this project will make it easier to attend on campus classes and to fit in with the demanding training and competition schedule.

Together with the Olympic badminton champion Carolina Marín , they shared moments to remember, autographs and photos with the many people who came to the UCAM-COE stand, as well as other sporting references such as David Cal. The five-time Olympic medallist who is currently active in the UCAM Sports Service; Artemi Gavezou, Olympic runner-up in rhythmic gymnastics, and Ayoub Ghadfa, Olympic runner-up in boxing who, regarding the implementation of the new headquarters, pointed out that ‘many of the UCAM students are from Madrid and other cities; I think it is a very good initiative’.

The general director of the UCAM Sports Service, Pablo Rosique, has expressed his satisfaction with the collaboration with elite athletes and the COE: ‘The two institutions have been working together for many years and we are delighted that this will continue to be the case, with studies, training and athletes, as we have always done’.