Entering the Santa Mònica this summer is like stepping onto an unusual playground that unites art and sport. The arts center, located at the end of Barcelona's La Rambla, presents, until September 14th and free of charge, CITISSIMUM ALTISSIMUM FORTISSIMUM, a major exhibition that focuses on a current but underrepresented theme in the art world: competitive sport.

Pep Guardiola is a Barça legend. A Dream Team player, he reached the top with a six-team squad in his first season as a top-flight manager. A four-year stint at Barça that seemed short-lived for Barça fans. Since he packed his bags at Camp Nou in 2012, many Barça fans have dreamed of his return, but Guardiola is clear that his future doesn't lie in the Barça dugout. "It's over forever. It was beautiful, but it's over."

Anna Carbó has been rowing along the Costa Brava for half her life. When she was 12, she joined the Es Pescadors rowing club in Lloret de Mar. "It was the natural path because my friends from the club also started joining," she recalls. Now she's the president and helmsman of the senior men's team. These last few weeks, they've had more training than usual. On the emblematic Sa Caleta beach, at the foot of the unmistakable Plaja castle, tourists mingle with tradition as they unload the traditional Catalan llagut to put it into the sea. It's the preamble to the The day that the people of Lloret reclaim the beach from tourists in the middle of summer: July 24th, Santa Cristina, their patron saint. And also the confirmation of the rowing fever that exists in Lloret de Mar. A total of nine entities coexist, making it the municipality in Catalonia with the most rowing clubs per inhabitant.

The walkers and runners Those who get up early on Sunday to exercise on the banks of the Besòs River are surprised when they see, near the Badalona neighborhood of Artigues, a group of boys and girls running up and down with a PVC stick between their legs and various types of balls in their hands that they throw at their friends, and try to act like a circus, strategically arranged on the grass that exists between the water and the bike path. "Some ask us what we play, others indiscreetly film us and some cyclists who call us 'Harry Potter!'" laughs Brais Costoya, one of the regulars at the Sunday sessions of the Catalan quadball team, a discipline that was born in 2005 from sport and the inspiration of quiddit. It has been practiced in Barcelona for years.

Padel has ceased to be just a trendy sport and has become an ambitious economic driver. With 30 million amateur players worldwide and a constantly growing market, the industry surrounding this discipline is seeking to consolidate its position. In this context, Barcelona, ​​one of the world's great sporting capitals, becomes the global epicenter with the second edition of the Padel World Summit (PWS), which arrives at the Gran Via venue from May 27 to 29.

One of Barcelona's most iconic races arrives this Sunday, May 11th, thanks to El Corte Inglés. There are 40,000 registered participants, up from 30,000 last year, and a now familiar route that will cross the city from Diagonal to Plaça Catalunya. This 45th edition will donate the funds raised to the Xana Foundation.

Legend has it that the first person to run a marathon, the Greek Pheidippides, died of exhaustion just minutes after completing the feat. It must be taken into account that the poor soldier did not expect that on that historic day in the 5th century BC, instead of ending up pierced by a Persian spear on the beach at Marathon, he would have to run tirelessly the 42.195 kilometers that separated the battlefield from Athens to announce victory over the invading troops.

Match day is a special day, a day unlike any other. For a few hours, a group of nuns from their respective monasteries scattered across the Italian peninsula put aside their tunics to put on their jerseys, socks, and shorts. From the start, they unleash football energy: vitality, a competitive spirit, and a relentless drive to give their all for their team. The nuns hold nothing back; they are true football players who fight for every ball and, through this team play, seek to defeat their opponents.

Raül Romeva (Madrid, 1971) spent a good part of his time in prison for his participation in the October 1st trial writing his second doctoral thesis: Sport and physical activity in prisons in CataloniaDespite being known for his political and academic work, Romeva is deeply involved in sports. He was a water polo player and swimmer at CN Sabadell, a club of which he is a member. His children compete: Elda in athletics and Noah in water polo. He now publishes Sport for all (Editorial Base), where he reflects on the present and future of Catalan sport.

Over the years and with experience, managing my large family has become easier. Comparing my parenting style with that of other parents, I think I give less importance to things.

Elite athletes and mass sports, as well as the athletes who earn the most and have the greatest media coverage, have traditionally always been men. As this is a cause of a primarily cultural nature, perpetuated for a long time, it is necessary to empower girls and young women when it comes to starting and consolidating themselves in the sports they like. But how can this be done? Alejandra Domínguez, director of the Women's Sports Institute (WSI), suggests starting by "providing truthful information." And she maintains that "we tend to assume that the salary differences between male and female athletes are due to some type of discrimination, when what happens with sport, like with any business or industry, is also subject to the laws of the market and, therefore, to gain access we must submit to its rules." This does not mean, she clarifies immediately, "that nothing can be done to improve or that there is nothing to do." In fact, in his opinion, everything that falls outside the concept of the sports industry as a business should enjoy special protection. "We must ensure that access to sports becomes a reality for everyone," he stresses.

There is no goalkeeper guarding the door because you already have an exclusive ticket. The pass in question is a kind of golden ticket that immerses you in a curious experience. There is a fridge with soft drinks, juices, ginger shots in abundance, and even some beer. Promotional clothing is also on sale. dress code You are escorted to the room. In the red hallway, moving letters announce where you are. You enter in the darkness, take a seat among twenty people, the DJ sits down, puts on his own playlist – from Rosalía to techno and reggaeton – and suddenly, fluorescent lights come on everywhere. The mirrors reflect the perfect reflection for a selfie. You can't stop moving, but you are amazed: you realize that you are on a stationary bike and that the person in front of you is not Martin Garrix or David Guetta, but the trainer assigned to the class.

We met at the ViconVino shop on Calle Diputació to conduct the interview. Although you are best known for your role as a sports journalist, this shop is also part of your life. How much time do you spend within these walls?