Spain knows golden ages. It still cherishes the Siglo de Oro, the 16th and 17th centuries of Cervantes, Velázquez and imperial conquest in South America.

This year has been proclaimed, with little dissent, Spanish sport’s very own golden age. If the Olympics were not as spectacularly successful as some had hoped, with 18 medals claimed, Spain is still enjoying Rafael Nadal’s dominance of men’s tennis, cycling victories in the Tour de France by Carlos Sastre and the Giro d’Italia by Alberto Contador, and the national football team’s long overdue triumph in a major championship, winning the 2008 European Championships with elegant conclusiveness.