While much of the recent past has seen football dominating Spanish sports, the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Carlos Sastre’s Tour de France win, and Rafael Nadal’s triumph at Wimbledon have added to the sense that Spain is larger than football. Nevertheless, football wins, like the victory in the UEFA Euro 2008, are still much appreciated by the sports-watching public for whom football is still the most popular sport.
Cycling has gained popularity in the last number of years, in part due to the success of Spanish cyclists Miguel Indurain and Carlos Sastre, who won the Tour de France in 2008; Indurain won five times in the early 1990s. The ‘Vuelta a Espana’, the Tour of Spain, is one of the world’s most important cycling events, along with the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.
Spain has produced world-class golfers and has a number of important courses throughout the country, including San Roque, Alcaidesa, and Sotogrande. Spaniard Sergio Garcia is considered one of the world’s top golfers.
Basketball is popular, with the Spanish ACB a major European league. Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have been victorious in European championships like the Eurocup.
Handball, volleyball, and rugby are all played throughout Spain and are growing in popularity.
Skiing has also seen an increase in popularity, especially in the Sierra Nevada in Granada. Spain has the southernmost ski resorts in Europe, and three million skiers, both holidaymakers and those living in Spain, visit the slopes annually.
Water sports are popular in the coastal areas. Bullfights and other traditional Spanish sports, such as Basque pelota and Valencian pilota, similar to jai alai, have their own place in Spanish sports.
Popularity: 2% [?]
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