Barcelona 92 were considered the best Games in history, at least until then. That year, the Spanish city dared to use an archer to create the spectacle of the Olympic flame appearing out of nowhere in the cauldron of the Montjuic stadium in the 'Olympic mountain'. That same year, Albertville hosted the Winter Games in France, which were also considered a great success. Both Olympics are to be remembered and enjoyed.

This is what the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) wanted to honor this Friday with an event to celebrate this anniversary. The Alfredo Goyeneche Auditorium was decked out in royal style to welcome Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain, Felipe VI and Doña Sofía, and a host of medallists, each with the memory of past success tattooed on their faces.

It was an emotional tribute to the Spanish athletes who took part in the 1992 Olympic Games in Albertville and Barcelona. The effort of the athletes, the effort of the organisers and the effort of everyone involved in an event that was the centre of the world's attention, as happens every four years when the Olympic 

For Spain, however, these Olympic Games coincided with the country's golden age of sport, and those who could not be there were reminded of it. For example, when they came out to perform the famous song 'Barcelona', sung by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé.

Emotion was once again the protagonist. The hall was packed and the musical performance was led by soprano Pilar Jurado and singer Momo Cortés. They performed the songs 'Barcelona' and 'Friends Forever', another anthem that became a popular hit.

"Today we pay a sincere, emotional and affectionate tribute to the extraordinary athletes who redefined sport and Olympism in our country, to the heroes and heroines of Barcelona and Albertville 1992 and to their immeasurable legacy. They have served to make the whole of Spanish society aware of the fact that we are a progressive, competitive, modern and democratic society," said Alejandro Blanco, President of the COE.

The United States Unified Team topped the overall medal table, followed by the United States of America, Germany, China, Cuba and, most notably, the sixth-placed Spanish team. This is a historic achievement for the Iberian country in terms of the number of medals (22) and the impact of the sports in which they were won.

José Emilio Amavisca, the former Real Madrid player and Olympic football champion, was there. He represented the team that won at home with young stars on the rise like Pep Guardiola, now manager of Manchester City, and Luis Enrique, coach of PSG.

Other Spanish athletes present were Fermín Cacho, who overcame African dominance in the middle distance, the 1,500 metres. The gesture he made as he crossed the line will never be forgotten by local fans. Or Abel Antón, the double world marathon champion who failed to win a medal for his country.

Also Jan Abascal, the Cantabrian who won the Olympic gold medal in Moscow in 1980. Thirty-two years later, an emotional meeting took place at an event presided over by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain, who recalled the moment when the opening parade culminated in the spectacular lighting of the cauldron by the archer, Antonio Rebollo, and the arrow that flew across the Barcelona sky.

Many anecdotes were revisited, such as the memory of the famous dream team of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and other NBA superstars. But also the historic bronze medal won by Blanca Fernández Ochoa at Albertville 92, the country's first medal at a Winter Olympics.

Albertville 1992 was not only a success for Spanish sport, it also saw the introduction of new sports such as speed skating on the track. which made its Olympic debut there and has been part of the Games programmeever since.

Many of those who were part of that Olympic team, who shared days of suffering and laughter in the village, were present. "We were all pioneers, the women who are here today," said judoka Miriam Blasco, Spain's first Olympic gold medallist, before adding: "We were quite invisible then and the Barcelona Games showed us to the world and today we are role models.

It was the King of Spain, Felipe VI, who brought the curtain down on the gala, ensuring that "Barcelona 92 was a great collective success". "The athletes and the teams fought and shone like never before, and they set a real benchmark for Spanish sport. Their achievements have paved the way for success for generations to come," he concluded.