Tennis Final Showcases Madrid 2016 Bid – Officials Learn From Paralympics

The final of the Fed Cup in Madrid this weekend is the latest in a series of major international sports events being held in the city this year which boosts Madrid's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

Leaders of Madrid's 2016 bid say the women's tennis "world cup" final is another great opportunity for the city to show what it can deliver for international sport.

Madrid 2016 bid head Mercedes Coghen said, "this year Spain has successfully hosted many major sports events including round three of the World Mountain Biking Championships in Madrid's Casa de Campo Park, the World Open Waters Swimming Championships in Seville, the Wheelchair World Basketball Championships, and the finals of European club basketball championships in Madrid. I hope all the tennis fans coming to the city this weekend will enjoy the sport and all our great city has to offer in terms of culture. We treat every event as if the city is in training for the Olympics in 2016".

Meanwhile Madrid 2016 officials including Coghen are in Beijing for the Paralympics to learn as much as possible for its Olympic and Paralympic bid.

Coghen said, "we want all our venues and the athletes village (to) offer everything athletes with a disability could wish for and we want to inspire young people of all abilities to be involved in sport in the future - that would (be) our greatest legacy".

Madrid 2016 Paralympic Bid Sports Coordinator and Paralympic medallist Mariano Ruiz said in Beijing, "I have been fortunate to experience what it is like to compete at this level and I have been very impressed with what I have seen in Beijing. Our challenge now is to learn from Beijing to ensure that Madrid delivers the best Paralympics possible in 2016".

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