The definitive move by the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) to withdraw its bid to host the 2030 Winter Games marks another setback in Spain’s long effort to stage a second Winter Olympics. Exactly thirty years after Barcelona 1992, the only prior success, Spain’s winter ambitions have stalled for now.
Hope remains that Spain could welcome the Games again in the future, yet Madrid’s Summer Olympics bid appears unlikely for 2036 as things stand. It is unclear which city, or which era, will be chosen for a Pyrenean Winter Games project, with 2034 seen as the earliest possible date for a new attempt.
For now, Spain sits out the Olympic cycle once more. Over three decades, twelve separate proposals have circulated, some pursued vigorously to IOC designation, others fading before formal nominations, sometimes due to competing Spanish bids for the same event.
Breath… and Pomegranate
The early path toward Barcelona’s 1992 success began with Jaca, which earned support to host both the 1981 Winter Universiade and the 1995 edition. Jaca’s first four Olympic bid attempts in the late 1990s and early 2000s drew strong political backing from the national government and Aragon authorities.
Jaca remained in contention despite challenges such as air access and hotel capacity, but was eventually edged out. The five finalists were narrowed, and the bid ultimately went to Nagano, Japan. That marked Jaca’s farthest reach in its five attempts.
Looking back to 2002, Huesca pressed its case again four years later with even tighter budgets after the prior setback, while public funding remained a hurdle.
Jaca returned in 2010 and again in 2014, but failed to pass the initial cut. Limited infrastructure, transportation, and hotel capacity in a town of about 13,000 residents were persistent obstacles.
In 2010, Spain also saw internal debate as Granada revived a 1992 dream. Jaca and the Andalusian city vied to be Spain’s main contender before the IOC, with Aragon taking a preliminary lead.
The last plan, which had not even reached IOC consideration, centered on Zaragoza as the main venue in 2022. Barcelona’s bid to compete in the same process stalled that effort, prompting the launch of a new project in 2030 that ultimately did not succeed.
Seville
Seville coincided with the Barcelona Games in 1992 and aimed to leverage both events to position itself as a future Olympic site. Plans included an Olympic stadium on Isla de la Cartuja, opened in 1999 for the World Athletics Championships.
The first Seville bid came in 2004, but Athens hosted the decision, and Seville struggled with hotel capacity despite expanding the regional bid to include other Andalusian cities. Four years later, Seville again submitted its plan with similar outcomes, and by 2012, Madrid’s bid overshadowed Seville’s hopes, effectively ending its pursuit for now.
Madrid
Madrid has repeatedly pursued a Summer Olympics bid, with a strong case built over the years. The strongest bid in recent memory was for 2012, where Madrid earned broad political support and a high IOC score, finishing behind Paris and London in the final tally.
The 2016 bid followed, despite the IOC’s temperament against back-to-back bids from the same continent. Madrid again performed well, finishing behind Tokyo in the IOC evaluation, but in the final vote Rio de Janeiro won, noting the historical significance of South America hosting for the first time in decades.
The 2020 attempt echoed a moment in city leadership, but Madrid faced competitors including Istanbul and Tokyo. The final outcome saw Madrid eliminated in the first round, and after consecutive setbacks, the Olympic plan was put aside for the time being.