Venues of the 1992 Summer Olympics

For the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, forty-three sports venues were used. Barcelona had dreamed of hosting the Olympics for many years. Their first try was for the 1924 Games, but they lost to Paris. They tried again in 1936, but lost to Berlin. During that time, they also planned an event called the People's Olympiad to show they did not agree with holding the Olympics in Nazi Germany, but they had to cancel it because of the Spanish Civil War. After successfully hosting the Mediterranean Games in 1955, Barcelona tried once more for the 1972 Games but lost to Munich. Finally, after improving Montjuïc Stadium, they successfully won the bid for the 1992 Summer Olympics in October 1986.

Barcelona was also known for its motorsport events. The city had a street circuit at Montjuïc, used for Formula One and MotoGP from 1950 to 1976, and the Circuit de Catalunya, which was completed in 1991. The Circuit de Catalunya later became the starting and finishing area for the cycling road team time trial. The marathon course was mostly flat but had a steep climb in the last part to reach the Olympic Stadium. There were also issues with garbage in the water near the sailing area, so special boats were used every day to keep the water clean.

After the Olympics, some venues continued to be important. The Circuit de Catalunya kept hosting Formula One and MotoGP races, and the Olympic Stadium later hosted the European Athletics Championships in 2010. Three of the Olympic venues also hosted the World Aquatic Championships in 2003 and 2013.

Venues

Montjuïc Area

Diagonal Area

Vall d'Hebron Area

Parc de Mar Area

Subsites

Before the Olympics

The idea of Barcelona hosting the Olympic Games began in 1913. In 1924, the Spanish Olympic Committee was created there. Barcelona made its first bid for the Summer Olympics in 1924 but lost to Paris. They tried again in 1936 but lost to Berlin.

After World War II, Barcelona began hosting races for Formula One cars and Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Many important sports events were held there over the years. In 1982, Spain hosted the FIFA World Cup, and Barcelona's stadiums were used for some matches.

Even before being chosen for the 1992 Summer Olympics, Barcelona started planning its venues in January 1985. The city was selected to host the Games on 17 October 1986 in Lausanne, Switzerland. Of the forty-three venues used, fifteen were brand new, and ten were updated. The work on these venues was finished by May 1992.

During the Olympics

The marathon race took place on a flat road for most of its length, with the last part climbing up to the Olympic Stadium. In the men's race, two runners from South Korea and Japan stayed very close until the final part, where the Korean runner sped up and won.

During the sailing events, sailors had trouble because of trash in the water, including old items like refrigerators. To help, local authorities sent special boats to clean the area every day. In one race, an American sailor had a plastic bag get stuck to his board, and he lost a chance to win by a very small margin.

After the Olympics

After the 1992 Summer Olympics, the Circuit de Catalunya continued to host the Spanish Grand Prix every year and also welcomed Grand Prix motorcycle racing in (/wiki/1996_Catalan_motorcycle_Grand_Prix).

Many Olympic venues stayed busy with big events. The Palau Saint Jordi, Piscines Bernat Picornell, and Piscina Municipal de Montjuïc were used for the 2003 World Aquatics Championships and again ten years later. The Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys hosted the European Athletics Championships in (/wiki/2010_European_Athletics_Championships). Parc Olímpic del Segre held the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in (/wiki/1999_ICF_Canoe_Slalom_World_Championships) and (/wiki/2009_ICF_Canoe_Slalom_World_Championships).