Probably there is no greater glory for an athlete than that of winning an Olympic medal. Tennis is not different in that regard. Since 1988, tennis is again an Olympic sport.

Conchita and Arantxa have an amazing record in the Olympic Games as well.



Seoul 1988

A sixteen years old Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario commented on Spanish tv before the Olympics that she believed she had a chance of winning a silver medal. I remember thinking "who's this lad and why does she think she has the slightlest chance of winning"?

Of course, there was no silver medal that year (only Arantxa competed, Conchita didn't), but it was a presagium of what was to come.



Barcelona 1992

They were playing at home. Not just in Spain, but in Barcelona, where they normally train and reside:

Singles: bronce medal for Spain (Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario) Fate (and draw gods) made them face each other in the QF. In the 1992 Olympics the format imposed that there was no match for the third place, and that both SF losers would win a bronce medal. This all-Spanish meeting in the QF guarateed a medal for Spain. The winner of that match was to be Arantxa, who won 6-4 6-4, her reward: a bronce medal. (Arantxa lost in her SF match vs Jennifer Capriati, who ended up winning the gold).

Doubles: Silver medal for Spain (Arantxa and Conchita) They were the favourites. Spain as a whole wanted them to win. They didn't lose a single set up until the final. These two twenty years old girls hold Spain's hope up until the third set of the Final. But it was not to be. They lost vs the US team (Gigi Fernández and Mary Joe Fernández) 7-6 2-6 6-2. A silver medal that left a bitter sweet taste. It could have been gold.

Atlanta 1996

The Olympic flame travelled to the USA. And, again, Arantxa and Conchita were chosen to represent Spain.

Singles: silver medal for Spain (Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario) In her third apperance in a row in the Olympics Games, Arantxa came the closest to winning a gold medal. Her run to the F, including the controversy of both hers and Jana Novotna's declarations after the SF match (that ended up splitting a great doubles partnership), was impeccable. Only Lindsay Davenport was better than Arantxa in the 1996 Olympics, depriving Arantxa of what could have been her first gold medal.

Doubles: Bronce medal for Spain (Arantxa and Conchita) Arantxa and Conchita met Novotna and Sukova in the SF, a great team. The Spanish team fought, but ended up losing. In this Games, unlike in Barcelona, there was a match for the bronce medal. Arantxa and Conchita won that match. Winning their second medal in doubles for Spain in two consecutive Olympic Games. This medal was the fourth Olympic medal for Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario, making her the Spanish athlete (man or woman) with more Olympic medals ever.

Sydney 2000

They have the silver. They have the bronce. In Sydney, they wanted the gold.

Arantxa and Conchita wanted another Olympic medal. This time, a golden one. They played some tournaments together, during the year, in order to get some practice.

But Sydney 2000 was not to bring any more medals to the Spanish team. Arantxa and Conchita lost early in the Olympic tourney, losing the opportunity to make their legend even bigger. In the 4th Olympics for Arantxa and 3rd ones for Conchita, the Olympic dream became a nightmare.

I have collected a few pics from these Games too, when I stop wanting to throttle people because of the lousy result , I will add them. So that this "Olympic" section of the site can be done. Although, I am anticipating that the sense of closure that will follow that moment will probably leave me equally sad... so no promises on when I will gather my wits enough to close the Olympic dream section. What a rotten week this 2000 Olympics brought on.