NH Harrington Hall, London

Queen Sofía of Spain inaugurates the House of Spain at the NH Harrington Hall

The countdown is over. The 2012 London Olympics have begun! Wanting to show her support for the Spanish Olympic family, Queen Sofía of Spain opened the House of Spain in London, by staying at the NH Harrington Hall. The House of Spain plays a key role during the celebration of the Olympics. “We have been here for four extraordinary years, we have reached the peak and this is the home to share joys and disappointments,” said the excited, Spanish Olympic Committee president Alejandro Blanco. 

Pau Gasol carries the Spanish flag at the Olympic opening ceremony 

What’s good is worth waiting. After more than 90 minutes into the parade and nearly three hours into the ceremony, a proud Pau Gasol jumped into the Olympic ring by carrying the Spanish flag from his astounding 2.15 meter height. Accompanied by 176 athletes and 30 head coaches of all teams, except the Olympic women’s handball and gymnastic team-and the mission leader, Cayetano Cornet, the Spanish delegation gave a good example of the friendliness and ease that characterizes it. All smiles, the athletes did not fail to say hello, take pictures and dance, under the attentive control of personnel to direct their steps.

The Spanish delegation was in the 172nd slot, between South Africa and Sri Lanka, recovering the traditional order from  the last Olympic Games in Beijing, which was paraded according to the Mandarin alphabet. 

The uniform of the athletes combined a sports jacket and red tie with navy pants for the men, while the women wore a gold jacket and a red skirt. This was the same uniform that Queen Sofía wore yesterday to inaugurate the House of Spain, at the Hotel NH Harrington Hall.

Spain opens with two degrees in the Olympic opening day

Still with the taste of the impressive opening ceremony that dazzled the world, the first big day of the Olympics began.  Swimmer Mireia Belmonte the shooter Pablo Carrera and were among the first medal options for the Spanish team in London, gaining a diploma in their respective disciplines.

We’ll continue reporting from the NH Harrington Hall Hotel, headquarters of the House of Spain in London, hoping to celebrate the first Spanish medal in the coming days!