140 | nº 31, pp. 131-151 | doxa.comunicación

July-December of 2020

The influence of sporting success on the sports coverage of Spanish women: the London 2012 and Rio 2016...

ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978

are Spanish athletes. Therefore, in Marca’s coverage of wome n’s sport in the two Olympic events, the sportswomen’s Spanish nationality is the main criterion for the news’s hierarchy, over and above sporting success. As Moragas (2008:8) highlights, “the popular and audience success of sport is due to three main factors: emotion, spectacularity, and identity.”

We have also analysed who the protagonist in the headlines of the front pages featuring national sportswomen is: what relevance is given to these sportswomen, or the country they represent, Spain, which highlights the nationalist triumphalism of the victories.

As can be seen in the headlines of the London 2012 booklet front pages:

And a brave one. Maialen Chorrauts gets second in canoeing and changes the trend of Spanish sport in London (2/08/2012).

Ladies first. Silvia Navarro and Laura Ester, the goalkeepers of handball and water polo, love London (3/08/2012).

The golden pond. Spanish women’s Waterpolo makes history as the team makes it to the semi-finals in its Olympic debut (06/08/2012).

Spain makes waves. Alabau, Gómez Noya, the girls of the synchro and water polo water, our best day in London (08/08/2012).

Like fish in water, Spain wins the bronze medal in synchronised swimming with a spectacular staging (11/08/2012).

They are like that. The girls of the Elliot 8 give Spain the third gold, and handball achieves a historic medal (12/08/2012).

Twice, the subject of the headline or subheadline is that Spain achieves victory, so the triumph extends to the whole country: “Spain wins a bronze medal in synchronised swimming…” (11/08/2012), “Spain makes waves” (8/08/2012). Also, in two headlines in the 2016 Olympics: “Spain takes away two golds in the swimming pool…” (12/08/2016) and “Spain puts a finishing touch to the games with the medal of…” (22/08/2016), the subject of the triumph is the athletes country of origin. In the other headlines published in the 2012 and 2016 supplements, the spotlight is on the female athletes.

They are warriors. The female sector garners hope for Spain, adding another fourth place with Castroviejo in cycling and fifth with Bernabéu in judo (11/08/2016).

Mireia shines. Belmonte opens the medallion after a fantastic comeback that leads her to the bronze. The shooter Fatima Galvez, fourth by only one plate (8/08/2016).

Holy water. Spain wins two golds in the swimming pool and whitewater while Nadal and López enter into the doubles finals and ensure one more (12/08/2016).

Raise Spain. Lydia Valentín wins Spain’s fourth medal in Rio in weightlifting, and Rafa Nadal earns a spot in the individual tournament semi-finals (13/08/2016).

Triple Crown. Carolina Marín wins Spain’s sixth gold while taekwondo remains a mainstay; silver for Calvo and bronze for Joel (20/08/2016).