A few days ago, Adriana Pérez Rotondo became the first Spanish woman to win the historic Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race – a competition between the two most emblematic universities in the United Kingdom that has been held since the mid-19th Century. The woman from Madrid, who is taking her doctorate in theoretical neuroscience at Cambridge University, had already tasted victory in 2019 as a member of the reserve crew.
This is just the latest achievement by Spanish female athletes on the world stage, which has been preceded in recent weeks and months by many others, including handball, basketball and football, whose teams are preparing to continue increasing their tally of trophies.
The ‘Guerreras’ [Warriors] - direct qualification to the Olympic Games
One of the greatest joys of Spanish women’s sport was celebrated on 21 March by the girls of the women’s handball team, better known as the ‘Guerreras’. Their victory against Argentina (16-31) in the town of Llíria (Valencia), in the third and final phase of qualifying for the Olympic Games, gave them a direct ticket to this summer’s event in Tokyo. This will be the fifth time that the Spanish national team – which won bronze medal at the Olympic Games in London – fights for Olympic gold, and the third in a row.
Spanish handball has thus achieved another notable double with representation in both the men’s tournament – with the ‘Hispanos’ – and in the women’s tournament, at the Tokyo Olympic Games – following the Games in Barcelona 1992, Athens 2004 and London 2012. But before that, the team captained by Silvia Navarro and managed by Carlos Viver will compete in the international week from 12 to 18 April in Denmark, playing two friendly matches against their Nordic hosts on 15 and 17 April, both at the Frederiksborg Centre in Hillerød.
The qualification by the ‘Guerreras’ for the Olympic Games now means that four women’s national teams will compete in Tokyo – handball, basketball, hockey and water polo.
The women’s basketball team, with aspirations in Tokyo and at EuroBasket
The Absolute Women's National Team. Photo: FEB
Like the ‘Guerreras’, the women’s basketball team will compete at this summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games. Spain’s first rival will be South Korea, followed by Serbia in their second match and their final match in their qualifying group against Canada. The Spanish women’s team has already won a silver medal, at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, a trophy that it hopes to add to in Tokyo to extend its track-record.
It was back in June 1993 in the Italian city of Perugia when the women’s team achieved their first international medal – a gold medal at the EuroBasket. Since then, they have been on the podium 14 times: in addition to Olympic silver, the team has won three medals – bronze, silver and bronze – at the World Cup; and five bronzes, one silver and four golds at the EuroBasket, including the gold medal against France in the most recent edition, held in Serbia and Latvia.
At the upcoming 2021 Women’s EuroBasket, to be held in June, the European champions in 2017 and 2019, coached by Lucas Modelo, will face Belarus, Sweden and Slovakia in the qualifying group. This will be held in Valencia, one of the two championship venues, together with Strasbourg in France.
Women’s football moves towards professionalism
The women's national football team during one of their training sessions in Marbella last week. Photo: Sefutbol.com
After qualifying for the EURO (the UEFA European Women’s Championship) back in February, the women’s football team is preparing for this European event, which will be held in England in the summer of 2022. With a view to this tournament, the members of the team coached by Jorge Vila have been training in Marbella since 5 April, where they will play two friendly matches under their FIFA international commitments. On Friday, 9 April, their first match will be against the reigning European champions and World Cup runners-up – the Netherlands; and four days later they will play Mexico. These matches will be played under a new captain - Alexia Putellas, from Catalonia – who has more than 80 international caps.
At a club level, furthermore, women’s football is moving towards professionalism. Back in December, the National Sports Council met with the chairmen and executives of clubs in the Spanish women’s football Premier League, together with the team captains, to commence a professionalization project and thus offer greater stability and possibilities for their players to dedicate their time to the sport. As announced at that time, women’s football will become professional as from next season.