Stepping out for grey power - Carvajal Spain

40 SUR IN ENGLISH OCTOBER 2ND TO 8TH 2009
Sport
Sports stars and politicians
fly the flag for Madrid
The King and
Queen, Raúl and
Miguel Indurain are
just some of the
people supporting
Madrid’s Olympic
bidinCopenhagen
D. VALERA / SUR
Members of the Spanish Olympic
committee travelled to Cophenagen
on Wednesday ahead of today’s
announcement of which of
the four final candidates will host
the 2016 Olympic Games.
Supporting Madrid’s bid in Copenhagen
are King Juan Carlos
and Queen Sofía, Prime Minister
Zapatero, Madrid Mayor Alberto
Ruiz Gallardón and a host of
sports personalities such as cycling
legend Miguel Indurain and
Real Madrid captain Raúl. However,
two of Spain’s most prominent
sportsmen, basketball star
SPAIN’S SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SPORT, JAIME LISSAVETZKY, AND GALLARDÓN.
Pau Gasol and tennis player Rafael
Nadal, have been unable to
back the capital’s bid in Denmark
due to work commitments.
Flying the flag for one of
Spain’s rival candidates, Rio de Janeiro,
is Brazilian president Lula
Da Silva and football legend Pelé,
while Japan’s new prime minister
is supporting Tokyo’s bid. US
President Barack Obama was expected
to fly in to Copenhagen
ahead of the announcement of
the winner on Friday.
Supporting Chicago’s bid in his
absence over the last few days has
been his wife Michelle Obama,
who has been singing the praises
of Chicago to IOC members, just
as Tony Blair did for London a few
years ago.
Madrid, which has been described
as the “safe bid”, is one of
the few major European capitals
that has not yet hosted the games.
The city made unsuccessful Olympic
bids back in 1972 and for the
2012 games, won by London.
Motor sport Formula One
CONTENT. ALONSO WILL MOVE TO FERRARI A YEAR EARLIER THAN PLANNED. AP
Fernando Alonso signs
three-year deal with Ferrari
The double world champion will earn
more than 20 million euros a year
COLPISA
On Wednesday this week Ferrari
announced the signing of Spanish
Formula One racer Fernando
Alonso on a three-year deal,
which can be extended by two
years. Double world champion
Alonso, currently with Renault,
will join Brazilian driver Felipe
Massa in 2010, taking the place of
Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen, whose
contract has been ended a year
early by mutual agreement.
Alonso has made no secret of
his ambition to race for Ferrari,
calling it a “dream for anyone in
the profession”. He also confirmed
that he will retire from
the sport at 34, when his deal
with the Italian motor racing
team comes to an end.