Cook Islands at the 1992 Summer Olympics recognized by the International Olympic Committee on 1 January 1986. The nation made its first Olympic appearance at the 1988 Summer Olympics, and have sent a delegation to every Summer Olympic Games since. Barcelona was therefore their second time competing in the Summer Olympics, and they have never participated in a Winter Olympic Games. As of 2018 the Cook Islands have never won a medal at the Olympics. The 1992 Summer Olympics were held from 25 July to 9 August; a total of 9,356 athletes represented 169 National Olympic Committees. The Cook Islands' delegation to Barcelona consisted of two competitors,
Madrid bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics of the IOC. The Spanish Olympic Committee (SOC) confirmed Madrid as its candidate city to host the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics on May 30, 2007. This is the city's second consecutive bid and its third failure, after two failed attempts for the 1972 and the 2012 Summer Olympics. Geographic issues were highlighted as a major problem for Madrid due to recent Olympic Games in Europe as the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. If successful, it would be the second Olympics hosted in Spain, after the 1992 Summer Olympics held