The Games with the largest number of sportsmen and women from Navarre issue

The Barcelona Games have had the highest number of sportsmen and women from Navarre: 22 (14 in Basque Pelota, 5 in Baseball and 1 each in Swimming, Athletics and Handball).

Basque Pelota was an exhibition sport and the Spanish team included: Luis Altadil (Silver in Paleta Cuero Trinqute), Rafael Araujo (Gold in Pala Corta), Alfredo Balerdi (Gold in Mano Parejas), Rubén Beloki (Gold in Mano Individual), Peio Egaña (Silver in Paleta Cuero en Trinquete), Miguel Eguinoa (Bronze in Paleta Goma), Oscar Goñi (Silver in Mano Parejas en Trinquete), Oscar Isausti (Gold in Paleta Cuero), Iñaki Lujambio (Gold in Mano Parejas), Fernando Mendiluce (Silver in Paleta Cuero in Trinquete), Luis Tejada (Gold in Paleta Cuero), Mikel Txoperena (Silver in Mano Parejas in Trinquete), Javier Ubanell (Silver in Paleta Cuero in Trinkete), Angel Urós (Gold in Paleta Cuero).

The Spanish baseball team participated for the first time in an Olympic quotation and did so as a direct qualifier as the host country. The following players from Navarre took part in the Spanish team, which finished eighth: Javier Aristu, José Arza, Luis Carlos León, Jesús Lisarri and Gabriel Valarezo.

The Navarrese participation was completed by Gregoria Ferrer in Athletics, Jorge Pérez in Swimming and Mateo Garralda in Handball. "Mateo Garralda was born in Burlada in 1969. One of the most important handball players in the world. Mateo Garralda Larumbe was born on 1 December 1969 in Burlata (Navarra). The son of Jesús Garralda Gorraiz, he grew up in the heart of a family with six children, large family . He started playing handball at high school Hilarión Eslava in his home town: "After playing many sports, I chose this one because I was very nervous and the idiosyncrasy of this discipline, which is characterised by a fast-paced game, calmed me down". He stood out immediately, so much so that, at the age of twelve, he began to attend national training camps.

When he was thirteen years old, BM Granollers wanted to sign him, but his parents did not let him until he was sixteen. To play for the Barcelona team, he stayed at residency program Blume from 1986 to 1991, a period during which Granollers experienced a period of growth. It was a young and promising team, with future stars, apart from Garralda, such as Enric Masip and Barrufet. Together they won silver medals at the World Junior Championships (1987 and 1989).

After a brief spell at Atlético de Madrid, a historic club in its final years before the disappearance of the section during the presidency of Jesús Gil y Gil, in 1992 Garralda signed for G. D. Teka de Santander, with whom he won the Asobal League, the IHF Cup (later EHF) and the Spanish Super Cup in 1993. The following year, with the same team, he won the Asobal League and his first European Cup" (Ruiza, M., Fernández, T. and Tamaro, E. (2004). Biography of Mateo Garralda. In Biografías y Vidas. The online biographical encyclopaedia. Barcelona (Spain).

Retrieved from Biographies and Lives (October 1, 2020).

In Barcelona Mateo obtained an Olympic Diploma when the Spanish national team qualified in 5th place.

Paralympic athletes participate for the first time

The Barcelona Games were also historic for sport in Navarre as they were the first in which Paralympic athletes took part. Juantxo Fuertes in swimming, José Maria Arigita who participated in cycling and athletics, Juan Bautista Telletxea in boccia and Alberto Urroz in athletics.

Jose María Arigita was born on 16 June 1970 and is the first and only athlete, so far, to have participated in two different sports at the Games. He competed in Athletics (200 m) and Cycling (Road Time Trial).