COE President Alejandro Blanco: "Success is the sum of small efforts". COE

The Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) paid tribute to its most outstanding athletes at its Annual Gala. In a pre-Olympic year, decisions and achievements become even more crucial.

With Paris 2024 on the horizon, every training session, every performance and every decision becomes even more important. That's why the COE wanted to give a boost to those who deserve it. Nineteen awards were presented, distributed in ten categories, following the pattern of last year's Gala. The awardees were:

  • Lydia Valentín and Jesús Ángel 'Chuso' García Bragado for the Career Achievement Award.
  • Ana Carrasco, Alejandro Abascal and Miguel Noguer for the Pioneers Award.
  • Teresa Portela and Damián Quintero for the Values Award.
  • Laia Sellés and Adrián Vicente for the Revelation Award.
  • Carla Suárez and Alejandro Valverde for the Overcoming Award.
  • Ona Carbonell and Joan Llaneras for the Legend Award.
  • The women's football team and the men's handball team for the Team Award.
  • Maialen Chourraut and Rudy Fernández for the Special COE Award.
  • Ambassadors of the Refugee Project for the #TheHeartOfSpain Award.
  • Antía Jácome, María Corbera and Francisco Garrigós for the Athlete of the Year 2023 Award.
Alejandro Blanco, President of the Spanish Olympic Committee. © Getty Images
Alejandro Blanco, President of the Spanish Olympic Committee. © Getty Images

Alejandro Blanco, President of the COE, shared a few words with the protagonists and brought joy to the fans who sit down every day to watch the competitions. 

"Sport is a living phenomenon that changes so much over time that its true protagonists, the athletes, give us our identity. Today, we have rewarded history. Their successes have shown us that it is the journey that counts. Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day after day. You are brave people and your madness is blessed, because you have shown us that we can dream the impossible if we believe in what is possible," he said.

"I have been thinking for days about what the Olympic movement can do for our country. Our country needs to revive the values that define us, the passion and the pride of feeling Spanish," Blanco added. 

The President gave the floor to the Spanish Minister for Education, Training, and Sport, Pilar Alegría: "We are going to talk about the sports model, education, and sport in order to achieve the total expression of sport in our country. Very soon we will have the Paris Games. We will share our emotions and celebrate the Spanish Olympic movement. When they are over, we will be able to say that, beyond the results, our athletes have achieved excellence, the excellence of things well done."