AUGUST 9 - SEBASTIAN COE'S (picture) father Peter, the inspirational coach to the double Olympic champion during his running career, died today aged 88 after a short illness.

Canadian escaped from the train and walked across France, over the Pyrenees into neutral but fascist Spain

  AUGUST 10 - MADRID today officially launched its international campaign to follow London and host the 2016 Olympics, unveiling its new slogan “with the human touch” in 2016.

Mercedes Coghen, a member of Spain's Olympic gold-medal winning hockey team the last time Spain hosted

“Nine out of ten people in Spain support the Madrid’s aspiration to host the Olympic Games.  

“Madrid is also a safe and welcoming city and Spain has one of the world’s biggest tourist sectors." 

  QATAR will officially announce its bid to host the 2018 World Cup early in the New Year, as reported first on insidethegames in June.

There is also expected to be a joint bid from Spain and Portugal and other contenders could include China

 AUGUST 11 - SPANISH cyclist Maria Isabel Moreno (pictured) is set to miss the 2012 Olympics after being caught out of the Beijing Games following a positive drugs test.

Anti-doping legislation passed by Spain last year calls for prison sentences of six months to two years

 JUNE 29 - SCOTLAND will find out this September whether they will be called in as late hosts for the Euro 2012 football tournament.

Spain and Italy have also expressed an interest in coming to Uefa's rescue if they are needed.  

 JUNE 29 - A NEW sailing World Cup has been launched as part of the build-up towards the 2012 Olympics, it was announced today.

in December 2008, followed by the Rolex Miami OCR, USA; the Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia MAPFRE, Palma, Spain

 JUNE 29 - A NEW sailing World Cup has been launched as part of the build-up towards the 2012 Olympics, it was announced today.

in December 2008, followed by the Rolex Miami OCR, USA; the Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia MAPFRE, Palma, Spain

  JUNE 29 - SPAIN'S Euro 2008 victory tonight showed a “will to win” which will inspire the Spanish Capital’s bid to host the Olympics said the Madrid 2016 bid chief.

  Mercedes Coghen, the chief executive of the Madrid bid said: “Spain has overcome the frustrations

Spain beat Germany in tonight's final in Vienna 1-0, courtesy of a goal from Liverpool striker Fernando

Coghen won an Olympic  gold medal in hockey for Spain and believes that the drive and focus needed to

  AUGUST 13 - A PLAYER on Spain’s Olympic basketball team has today defended a photograph in an advert showing the players using their fingers to apparently make their eyes look more Chinese.

  The photograph, which has been running as a full-page newspaper spread in Spain since Friday, shows

The photo was part of a publicity campaign for team sponsor Seur and is being used only in Spain.  

Spain has been dogged by accusations of racism for several years now, most recently in February when

“Spain is not a racist country - quite the opposite.”  

  MAY 1 - LONDON agencies Bell Pottinger and Fast Track have been appointed to lead Madrid's bid to host the 2016 Olympics, it was announced today.

will be supported by Chime’s sport and sponsorship division, Fast Track, through their operation in Spain

Managing Director Kevin Read will act as project co-director together with Ignacio Diaz, Fast Track Spain

Former ITN Head of Sport Malcolm Munro leading on international media relations supported in Spain by

  SPAIN today found itself embroiled in another racism row after the British Government urged its

England's football team is currently refusing to play an international friendly against European champions Spain

image emerged during the Beijing Games, and the photo continued to be used for publicity purposes in Spain

 MAY 3 - THE chief executive and chairman of Adidas, one of London 2012's top-tier sponsors, has criticised anti-Chinese protesters who tried to disrupt the Olympic torch relay.

"Otherwise, we would have to speak out against (separatist Basque terror group) ETA in Spain and we would

 MAY 5 - BRITISH officials are to campaign for athletes with intellectual disabiilities to be allowed back into the Paralympics in time for London 2012, insidethegames can reveal.

The category was dropped aftrer controversy at the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney when Spain were stripped

 MAY 6 - MENCAP today called on full funding to be restored to athletes with learning disabilities to ensure they are ready if they allowed to compete in the 2012 Paralympics.

”  The category was dropped aftrer controversy at the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney when Spain were

 MAY 7 - DAME TANNI GREY THOMPSON has revealed UK Athletics could consider implementing a period of quarantine for athletes returning to the sport after a drugs ban.

However, they were overruled by the IAAF and Chambers went on to win a silver medal in the 60 metres in Spain