Rename of the Spanish Olympic Academy to 'Royal Olympic Academy'

The King of Spain, HM Felipe VI, bestowed the title «Royal» to the Spanish Olympic Academy, which from now on will be named “Spanish Royal Olympic Academy”. This came as a result of the request from the president of the Academy, Conrado Durántez, together with the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco, to the Royal House. This acknowledgement by the King of Spain is the kick-off of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Academy – the oldest national Olympic academy in the world – which also becomes the first to have the title of “Royal”.

The Spanish Olympic Academy, the first National Olympic Academy, was created in Madrid on the 6 November 1968, in the image of the International Olympic Academy, founded seven years earlier. There are currently 146 National Olympic Academies which, together with the International Olympic Academy of Olympia, aim to boost and defend the philosophical values of the Olympic movement, as conceived by its founder Pierre de Coubertin.