Spanish women shine in dark year for men

MADRID (Reuters) - In a year when the men's football and basketball teams flopped on the biggest stage and Rafa Nadal's season was wrecked by injury and illness, it was the women who helped protect Spain's reputation as a nation of sporting excellence.

The standout performers were swimmer Mireia Belmonte, who set two world records at the short course world championships in Doha this month, and badminton player Carolina Marin, who pulled off a huge upset to beat Chinese world number one Li Xuerui and win the women’s singles title at the world championships in Copenhagen in August.