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Sport

by Chris Hughes

Putting aside the controversial manner in which Fernando Alonso claimed victory in last Sunday’s German Formula 1 Grand Prix, which has left a sour taste in the mouths of many a motorsport fan, the result still continued Spain’s incredible run of sporting success this summer, which has seen the country triumph in cycling, football, motorbike racing, Formula 1 and tennis.

Few would have predicted such a Spanish dominance at the start of the year, even if the nation’s athletic and sporting talents have long been a threat in their respective fields. It appears that the stars have aligned in 2010 to allow Spain finally to step out of the shadow of their European counterparts on the global sporting stage.

Last weekend was another case in point.

Fernando Alonso’s win in Germany may well go down in the Formula 1 history books in the same chapter as Austria 2002, but for the Asturias driver the result is his second victory of the season and hurtles him back into championship contention. It leaves the 2010 title delicately poised with Lewis Hamilton on 157 points, Jenson Button on 143, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel on 136 and Alonso now on 123 with 8 races of the season to go. If the resurgent competitiveness of the Ferrari in Hockenheim is anything to go by, what happened between Alonso and his team-mate Felipe Massa in the German Grand Prix could play a decisive role in the outcome of this year’s championship.

Alberto Contador took his third Tour de France title on Sunday, despite having not won a solitary stage. His win was not without controversy either having made the most of his nearest rival Andy Schleck’s misfortune with a loose chain on stage 15 to make a 39 second net gain, conveniently the amount of time by which he ultimately won.

Jorge Lorenzo is another Spaniard who has taken to winning with comfortable margins and he continued his scintillating MotoGP season with victory at Laguna Seca, benefitting from his compatriot Dani Pedrosa crashing out of the lead. The pretender to Valentino Rossi’s throne is proving a dominant force in 2010 with five consecutive pole positions and six wins at the halfway stage of this year’s championship. He leads Pedrosa by a mammoth 72 points, almost three victories’ worth of points with nine races to contest. For those arguing that Lorenzo’s title charge has been lessened by the absence of Rossi, who broke his leg in a practice crash at Mugello seven weeks ago, the return of the seven-time premier class world champion to the podium at Laguna will be a relief.

Sunday’s victories for Alonso, Contador and Lorenzo all contribute to Spain’s burgeoning trophy cabinet this summer.

The success of the national football team in South Africa is well documented and saw the country follow up their 2008 European Championship achievements with World Cup glory for the first time, Andres Iniesta’s goal proving the crucial match winner against the Netherlands. David Villa was the tournament’s joint top goal scorer with five goals, only losing out to Thomas Mueller of Germany for the prestigious Golden Boot on number of assists.

In tennis, Rafael Nadal returned to the top of the ATP rankings with a brilliant display at Roland Garros, taking his fifth French Open title in June, before cementing his status as the world’s number 1 tennis player with an equally fine performance at Wimbledon in July.

So whether four wheels, two wheels, V8 power, pedal power, grass pitches or grass courts, Spain has been a powerful force in the sporting world in 2010. Whether you believe it is a symbolic juxtaposition to the country’s economic gloom, or simply the result of years of hard work, dedication and patience all coming to fruition at the same time, one thing is clear - Spain has set quite a benchmark for other countries to follow in 2011 and beyond.

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