On September 29, 2005, the Galician sports leader won the elections and became the seventeenth president of Spain’s highest Olympic body. Since then, he has been re-elected consecutively, always with the strong backing of the national federations.

Throughout these two decades at the helm, Alejandro Blanco’s leadership — marked by his close relationship with athletes — has represented a turning point in the history of Spanish sport, consolidating a period of institutional stability and strengthening the international projection of the Olympic Movement in Spain.

From a sporting perspective, under his presidency Spain has maintained a consistent level of excellence at the Olympic Games. From Beijing 2008, with 19 medals, to Paris 2024, where the Spanish delegation earned 18, the country has remained firmly among the world’s leading sporting nations. London 2012, with 20 medals, and Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, with 17 in each edition, confirm a sustained pattern of results that keeps Spanish sport in a position of prestige — though the goal of surpassing the 22 medals achieved at Barcelona 1992 still remains.

Beyond athletic results, Alejandro Blanco has promoted comprehensive support policies for athletes, notably through the creation of the Athlete Support Office — an initiative that accompanies athletes before, during, and after their sporting careers with training and professional transition programs, psychological support, maternity assistance, and other welfare services. He has also signed agreements with public and private institutions to ensure the well-being and career opportunities of athletes beyond competition.

Over these twenty years, the Spanish Olympic Committee has become a benchmark in sustainability, launching pioneering initiatives — in line with the International Olympic Committee — such as the creation and opening of the world’s first sports center for refugees, located in Getafe. This project also reflects a strong social commitment aligned with Olympic values.

Alejandro Blanco’s leadership has transcended national borders. On numerous occasions, the International Olympic Committee has praised his work and loyalty to the Olympic ideal, awarding him the IOC Olympic Order.

Now, twenty years later — with the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games and Los Angeles 2028 on the horizon — Alejandro Blanco continues working to adapt the institution to modern times, always guided by the same principle: to serve the athletes and Spanish sport.