After hosting a double gender event in 2008, Barcelona returns to the SWATCH FIVB World Tour calendar with a women's stop   The 2008 event was the first SWATCH stop on the international circuit since 2004 as Barcelona joins Almeria, Gran Canaria, Madrid and Mallorca in hosting a women's tournament.  Beijing 2008 Olympians Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs rebounded from a setback in the second-round of the 2008 Barcelona event to win the gold medal for the United States.  With the title, the 38-year old Youngs became the oldest woman to win a SWATCH FIVB World Tour event.  The top placement by a Spanish women’s team was a ninth by Monica Del Prado and Liliana Diaz at the 1992 Almeria event, the first-ever women's stop on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour.  Barcelona is the capital and most populous city of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain with a population over 1.6-million. Located on the Mediterranean coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, Barcelona is a major economic centre, with one of Europe's principal Mediterranean ports. Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona became the capital of the Counts of Barcelona and the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination and has a rich cultural heritage. Particularly renowned are architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner that have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Barcelona has a long sporting tradition and hosted the successful 1992 Summer Olympics as well as several matches from the 1982 Football World Cup. It has also been host to the X FINA World Championships and twice of the Eurobasket. The Open Seat Godó, a 50-year-old ATP Tour International Series Gold tennis tournament, is held annually in the facilities of the Reial Club de Tenis Barcelona (Barcelona Royal Tennis Club). Several popular running competitions are organized year-round in Barcelona. Also, each Christmas, a swimming race across the port is organized. Near Barcelona, in Montmeló, the 131,000 capacity Circuit de Catalunya racetrack hosts the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix and the Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix. Barcelona has also become very popular with skateboarders, which has led to a new anti-skateboarding law, which came into effect in 2006.

PAST SPANISH WOMEN’S PODIUM PLACEMENTS

Medals - Brazil 9, USA 6, Australia 1, Czech Republic 1, Germany 1