Spain enjoyed a memorable 2008 with their footballers winning Euro 2008, Rafael Nadal being crowned Wimbledon champion on his way to becoming the world's top-ranked tennis and its Olympic team won18 medals, including five gold, its best performance since Barcelona hosted the 1992 Games.

 

Then the Spanish team had won 22 medals, 13 of them gold, as the country staged the Olympics for the first time.

 

Zapatero predicted similar success if Madrid is chosen ahead of Chicago, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo if it is chosen to host the 2016 Games.

 

He said: "We did it very well in [the 1992] Barcelona [Olympics] and we are doing it very well in and with Madrid. 

 

Through the medals won in Beijing and Spanish victories in football and tennis, the Prime Minister stressed sports people were “improving the image of Spain and defending it in the international sphere”.

 

Zapatero said he remained convinced that “this magnificent present is the prelude to an even more promising future” and agreed that the corporate sponsors maintaining their support for Spanish sport will reap benefits through London 2012.

 

Since the Barcelona Games, Spain has become increasingly recognised as “amongst the strongest forces in world sport”, Zapatero said.

 

He said: “Sport is one of the main pillars of civic life."

 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is due to announce the host city for 2016 at its Session in Copenhagen on October 2.