Mallorca – Island medalist of the world
Mallorca the birthplace of world champions: living intensely the sport. The amateurs and professionals of football, basketball, athletics, golf, cycling, motoring, horse riding, sailing and other practices can enjoy all year long endless sports because Mallorca has sports services, facilities and places suitable for the practice of any sport.
This data is known and that is why we are the favorite place of many elite athletes who seek tranquility offered and a good training space. It is also the island chosen by ex-sports professionals to reside or spend a vacation.
The footballer Samuel Eto’o says he will retire at Real Mallorca, Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins looks for a permanent home in Puerto Pollensa, Boris Beker and Michael Schumacher have been living with us for years. The 8-time world cycling champion Sarah Hammer trains and rests on the island, footballer Steve McManaman got married at the Palma’s Cathedral, several stars of the Spanish summer soccer team in Mallorca or Ibiza and thus an endless list of athletes from All Categories.
Mallorca the birthplace of world champions – what stands out is the amazing number of Olympic medalists and world champions who have been born in this wonderful island: Mallorca is one of the regions of Spain that has more first level athletes per square meter.
Since the shooter Cristobal Tauler was proclaimed the first Mallorcan world champion back in the twenties, going through the Davis Cup with Carlos Moya and Rafa Nadal against Roddick; until the recent and many medals of Marga Crespí and Melani Costa in the swimming world championships in Barcelona.
Tòfol Castanyer, world champion of Mountain Racing; Margarita Fullana, Bronze in Sydney and several times BTT world champion; Miquel Capó runner-up in the world of Duathlon; Guillem Timoner, 6 times world champion on track; Joan Llaneras proclaimed 7 times world champion; as well as Miquel Alzamora or Toni Tauler medalists and world champions.
If we talk about tennis, we undoubtedly have Rafa Nadal on the retina, number one for 102 weeks and king of the clay. Carlos Moya, was the first Spanish to be number 1 of the ATP. Nuria Llagostera, first island tennis player to lift a Masters Cup and in football, the “Chichi” Soler and Gabi Vidal from Palma made history in 1992 by hanging the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Barcelona. To all this adding, of course, the numerous titles obtained by Miguel Ángel Nadal with FC Barcelona.
In motorcycling we have Jorge Lorenzo being 2 times world champion in moto GP and 2 more in category 250cc. Lluís Salom today number one in the overall Moto3.
In basketball, the historic Rullan or the Palmesan Rudy Fernandez who has been part of the national basketball gold generation; he won the European Championship in Poland, silver medal in the Olympic Games in Beijing and in 2006 he won the World Championship in Japan, was an NBA player and is currently one of the pillars of Real Madrid and the national team.
In Taekwondo it is necessary to highlight Brigitte Yagüe, who with three world championships, Olympic runner-up and four Europeans being the most awarded Spanish in this discipline. Another woman synonymous with triumph is Elena Gómez, who in 2002 was the first Mallorcan gymnast to hang a gold medal in a World Cup.
Mallorca the birthplace of world champions – National and international successes.
Mallorca the birthplace of world champions – certainly also in water sports. The national and international successes of Rafael Escalas and Xavi Torres, this last winner of 15 golds between world and Paralympic Games and Blanca Gil, one of the best water polo players on the international scene. In underwater fishing and sports, the Mallorcan ones stand out with up to 19 world champions!
In sailboats, the “pollensí” Pepote Ballester, who in 1996 won the gold medal of Atlanta or Jordi Calafat with his last two cups won in the Copa América os Sailwater.
Mallorca, the birthplace of world champions – where we also boast of having world champions of Majorcan crib in disciplines such as Petanque, Kick Boxing, Bodybuilding, Chess, Canoeing, Trial Bike, Golf, Olympic and Paralympic Shooting, Front Tennis or University Football.
Due to this, the Insular Department of Sports wants to continue offering acts of recognition of sports merits to federated athletes who have achieved meritorious results in national or international categories; since in this way, sport is promoted as a way of life, the efforts made are recognized and the rewards obtained are congratulated.
Undoubtedly and proudly, Mallorca has been and will continue being the birthplace of world champions as well as having a modern and vibrant city, full of history, culture, fun and first class gastronomy.