Alicante Sports

Olympic Alicante

It is perhaps Chicoy Jose Antonio who disputed the final of 4x100 swimming styles for the Games of Mexico in 1968, which initiated the participation of Alicante in the Olympics. But it was not until the 1980 Games in Moscow and 1984 games in Los Angeles when Ramon came in fourth and sixth place respectively in athletics (3000 m obstacles).

In the only Olympics held in Spain so far, Barcelona 1992, four of the athletes who participated were from Alicante and also won medals for the first time: Miriam Blasco, judo gold medal and first Spanish Olympic medalist; Francisco “Kiko” Sanchez, gold medal in sailing, 470 male; Carolina Pascual, silver medal in rhythmic gymnastics; and vetch Francisco “Paqui,” gold medal in soccer.

In addition, Rosabel Espinosa joined the team as an alternate national rhythmic gymnast. In the 1996 Atlanta Games, Juan Escarre won a silver medal in hockey, and Isabel Fernandez won the bronze medal in judo. In the next Olympic Games, Sydney 2000, Elizabeth returned to get a medal, this time for gold. Finally, she won fifth place in the Games that took place in Athens in 2004. Elche has two Olympic medals in total.

Another prominent Alicante Olympian is Natalia Marin, who participated in the Olympics in the year 1987 for the rhythmic gymnastics team.

Sports Teams of Alicante

The team that has more titles in the City Club is the Balonmano Calpis. Between 1975 and 1980 they won four consecutive league titles (1975, 1976, 1977, and 1978), four titles in the Copa del Rey (1975, 1976, 1977, and 1980), and the Recopa of Europe (1980).

Subsequently, the club sponsor changed its name several times, changing its name to Tecnis, Tecnis (which won another Copa del Rey in 1986), Handball Club, and Ice Cream Alacant Alicante Costa Blanca. Their party in the pavilion now bears the name of the player and coach Pitiu Rochel.

With regard to basketball, Alicante Costa Blanca (officially called the Basketball Club Lucentum Alicante) has been the most successful sports team since the end of the 20th century.

Alicante Costa Blanca placed, on two occasions (seasons 2002–2003 and 2004–2005), among the eight best teams in the Spanish league. Recently, the sub Alicante Eurobasket 2007 Madrid, received selections from France, Italy, Slovenia, and Poland early on in the tournament.

In football the team that is most representative of the city of Alicante is the Hercules CF. The club’s colors are born blue and white and is the dream of Pastor Vicente Alfosea, better known as El Chepe, who started it in 1914 (officially formed in 1922). The other club in the city is Alicante CF, which began in 1918. Both teams play at the Rico Perez and military during the Second Division in the 2008–2009 season.

Alicante Sports

Despite football being the sport king, the greatest sporting achievements of the city are from other sports and athletes. They have achieved success in national and international sports such as handball and basketball; however, individual sports have achieved better results. Thus, Alicante has been a place of birth or residence of a score of athletes who have participated in the Olympics.

Sporting Events

Football has always been the sport that has raised the most passion in the city, although it is not a sport that has the most success. Alicante hosted the World Cup in 1982, where matches took place in Group C (Argentina, Belgium, Hungary, and El Salvador). Moreover, San Pedro’s Cup is a tournament in the historic city, where their participation is extended to the districts directly involved in its sports and cultural associations.

In 2008 the output of the 10th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race took place in Alicante on October 11, 2008.

Sports Facilities

Among the major sports facilities in the city are:

Estadio Jose Rico Perez, is the largest sports facility in the city. Built in 1974 by Hercules CF, it has the name of its then president. After moving to municipal hands, Alicante CF, after the promotion to Segunda B, they built a stadium after the council granted this privilege. In 2007 Hercules CF bought the stadium to the city council and signed an agreement to allow him to play CF in the Alicante area of the Hercules until 2012.

Center Tecnificacion: The flag of increased capacity of the city and its title from the Generalitat Valenciana. Its largest uses are for badminton and basketball. The CB Lucentum disputes in local meetings in this hall, which has a capacity of 5425 spectators. Notably, the court was of sub-Eurobasket 2007.

Athletics Stadium is functional and primarily dedicated to athletics, but it is used by the Hercules CF for their training and the Female Hercules disputes during their official meetings.

Furthermore, at the level of neighborhoods, there are municipal equipped facilities,such as The Tossal sports, football in San Blas Alto, Ciudad Deportiva de Alicante, Pla-Garbinet sports, football Cape football field Albufereta, fhe football field Stork, soccer field Divina Pastora, raffle sports, football Virgen del Remedio, San Blas sports, football, Florida Babel, and football municipal Villafranqueza (used by the Alicante CF).