The president of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán, accompanied by the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco; and the president of the Spanish Paralympic Committee, Miguel Carballeda; today announced the company’s support for Spanish Olympic and Paralympic athletes on their way to the Paris Games in 2024.
At a meeting held today at the company’s headquarters in Madrid, the president of Iberdrola presented the Iberdrola Medal for Energy in Sports to 48 athletes, who have represented Spain at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This recognition It aims to highlight the sporting successes achieved and above all the effort, ability to improve and professionalism demonstrated by the athletes in some Games that have been developed with the complexity of the Covid context.
An event where hockey has been represented by up to 11 of its players who were in the past Tokyo Olympic Games (Beatriz Pérez, María López, Laura Barrios, Lucía Jiménez, Alejandra Torres-Quevedo, Alicia Magaz, Begoña García, Candela Mejías, Carmen Cano, Lola Riera and Mª Ángeles Ruiz)
At the event, Ignacio Galán, stressed that “you are the mirror in which all young women want to look at themselves. In you they can find the example of women who, having achieved great successes, are not satisfied with what they have achieved, but who aspire to improve themselves every day. That has to make you feel proud, but you also know that this admiration carries a responsibility: to continue working to break down barriers and give the sport practiced by women the visibility it deserves ”. “There are those who may think that the next Games are still years away, but I know that for you the work has already begun. For this reason, I want to announce that we will continue by your side, from today to Paris. A path that will surely end with many successes, but that whatever happens, it will have been worth traveling ”, he added.
In this sense, the president of the electricity company has also reaffirmed the commitment to sports careers and the future of female athletes. The company will launch, in collaboration with the COE, a new edition of the training program for athletes in finance, economics and law.
OnAmong the athletes who have participated in this celebration of the Olympic spirit and equal opportunities, it is also worth highlighting the presence of the gold medalists Sandra Sánchez, the best karateka in history with seven consecutive European golds; Adriana Cerezo, the taekwondo player who at the age of 17 won the first silver medal for Spain in Tokyo; and the canoeists and silver medals Teresa Portela and Maialent Chorraut, who achieved second place in K1-200 and slalom respectively in these Games. As well as some of the Paralympic gold medalists: the triathlete Susana Rodríguez and the young swimmer Marta Fernández. What’s more; The silver medalist Eva Moral, triathlete in the PTWC1 class, and Sara Martínez, in the T12 long jump, also attended the event.
Likewise, the members of the handball, wheelchair basketball and artistic gymnastics team were present, as well as a dozen athletes, several canoeists, and athletes belonging to ten different sports disciplines.
Support for more than 300,000 women
athletes
Iberdrola has converted equality
real between men and women in one of its essential values. In 2016, it was the
first company to bet globally on equality and the empowerment of
women through sports. Currently, the company supports 16
federations: gymnastics, triathlon, rugby, canoeing, badminton, football,
handball, volleyball, hockey, table tennis, athletics, karate, boxing, surfing,
ice sports and fencing. It also names 22 leagues, all of them
top category, and another 35 competitions.
In parallel, the contribution of
resources, facilities, medical services and referees and the promotion and sponsorship
of initiatives by Iberdrola has not only helped to increase by 39%
the number of federated in the aforementioned disciplines -up to exceed 300,000-,
rather, it is allowing elite Spanish athletes who have
developed their sports career in other countries are returning to compete in
Spain, helping to increase the level and visibility of the
national competitions.
