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35-642: An Olympian is any competitor who has competed in a Summer or Winter Olympiad. Olympians are WOA members through their local National Olympians Associations. Globally, there are over 100,000 Olympians. IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch created the World Olympians Association following the Centennial Olympic Congress, Congress of Unity, held in Paris in 1994. Formally, the WOA was established during

70-519: A city councilor for the city of Barcelona responsible for sport in 1954, then delegate for physical education and sport in the Spanish Parliament in 1967. Samaranch was appointed president of the provincial council of Barcelona in 1973, until he resigned four years later, when he was appointed Spanish Ambassador to the Soviet Union and Mongolia after the resumption of diplomatic relations between

105-548: A meeting held in the Olympic Museum on 21 November 1995 by 25 founder members. In November 2011, Joël Bouzou , an Olympic medalist from France, was elected president of the association. He is the founder of Peace and Sport and the secretary general of the International Modern Pentathlon Federation (UIPM). In January 2012, Prince Albert II of Monaco was announced as patron of the association. Both

140-818: A member of the International Olympic Committee since 2001. Samaranch died of cardio-respiratory failure in the Hospital Quirón in Barcelona on 21 April 2010, having suffered ill health for several years prior. As a recipient of the Gold Medal of the Generalitat de Catalunya , Samaranch was laid-in-state in the Palau de la Generalitat . His funeral mass was held in the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia , on 22 April 2010 and

175-469: A short career as a sports journalist for La Prensa , which ended in his dismissal in 1943 for criticising the supporters of Real Madrid C.F. after that club's 11–1 defeat of FC Barcelona , and then joined his family's textile business. He joined the board of La Caixa , Spain's largest savings bank, in 1984, and served as president of the board from 1987 to 1999. He remained as honorary president from his retirement in 1999 to his death. Samaranch served on

210-536: A temporary exhibit space, where the museum regularly hosts traveling exhibits. The Olympic Museum is surrounded by a park containing numerous works of art on the theme of sports. Among the most notable works of art in the museum's permanent collection are the French sculptors Auguste Rodin 's The American Athlete and Niki de Saint Phalle 's Les Footballeurs , the Luxembourgish sculptor Lucien Wercollier 's tribute to

245-729: The Province of Barcelona . He was appointed Spanish ambassador to the Soviet Union and Mongolia in 1977, immediately after the restoration of diplomatic relations between the countries: this post helped him to gain the support of the Soviet bloc countries in the election to the presidency of the IOC, held in Moscow in 1980. He had been the chef de mission of the Spanish team at a number of Olympic events, before he

280-527: The Spanish Republican Armed Forces . Samaranch's political sympathies were for the Nationalists , and he deserted to Nationalist-held territory by way of France. On 1 December 1955, he married Maria Teresa Salisachs Rowe. With Salisachs Rowe, he had two children: Juan Antonio Junior, currently a member of the International Olympic Committee, and Maria Teresa. Samaranch started his studies at

315-641: The Youth Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games . More than 1,000 video clips of Olympic Games events and athletes can be searched and viewed at individual viewing stations. The final part of the permanent exhibit covers the Olympic Spirit, where visitors are made to feel part of an Olympic Village and can test their balance, agility, and mental skills with interactive exercises. Olympic medals are also on display. The renovated museum also includes

350-759: The Business School of Barcelona, which he completed in London and the US, and obtained a diploma from the Barcelona Higher Institute of Business Studies (IESE). During his studies, he practised roller hockey, for which he created World Championships in 1951 and which the Spanish team won. A member of the Falange in Francoist Spain , Samaranch held various political positions in municipal and national government: he became

385-627: The Games. During his term, Samaranch oversaw the Olympic Games returned to financial health, with big television deals and sponsorships established through the efforts of Dick Pound , President of the Canadian Olympic Committee. Although the 1984 Summer Olympics were still boycotted by the Soviet bloc, 140 National Olympic Committees took part in those Games, a record number at the time. and

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420-686: The IOC and was awarded the Gold Olympic Order upon standing down from the presidency. The IOC also voted to change the name of the Olympic Museum to the Samaranch Museum. Samaranch was a devout Catholic and was a supernumerary (lay member) of Opus Dei . He died on 21 April 2010 at the age of 89, in Barcelona. After actively participating in the Spanish Civil War , Samaranch studied commerce at IESE Business School in Barcelona. He had

455-527: The IOC presidency in the first round of voting on 16 July 1980 at the 83rd Session, he succeeded Lord Killanin on 3 August that year. Samaranch acceded to the IOC presidency during the troubled political period of the Games of the XXII Olympiad in Moscow. He sought to defend the Olympic movement and raise its profile on his numerous trips and meetings with heads of state and sports leaders. In 1981, he obtained for

490-637: The IOC the status of non-governmental international organisation and became the first IOC President, after Pierre de Coubertin, to establish himself in Lausanne. He was also in favour of the integration of women into the Olympic Movement, and during the Baden-Baden Congress gained permission for women to become members of the IOC. At his instigation, the IOC became involved in various initiatives to promote women and sport. Samaranch managed to include both

525-642: The NOC of the People's Republic of China and that of Chinese Taipei; with the assistance of Kéba Mbaye , he contributed to the reintegration of South Africa into the Olympics after the abolition of apartheid; he visited Sarajevo during the civil war to express Olympic solidarity; and the two Koreas marched under the same flag at the opening ceremony in Sydney. For sport, he intensified the IOC's support to organise Paralympic Games as from

560-590: The OLY lettering on any official documentation after their name, much like when one gets a degree. The initiative is open to all athletes who have competed at the games and upholds the values and practices enshrined in the Olympic Charter and the World Olympians Association Code of Conduct. IOC president Thomas Bach was the first athlete to officially receive the initials. The Olympians for Life project

595-633: The Olympic movement. Samaranch married María Teresa Salisachs Rowe, known as "Bibí" (26 December 1931 – 16 September 2000), on 1 December 1955. She died in Spain while he was attending the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Two children were born of this marriage: his elder child and daughter, María Teresa Samaranch Salisachs (born 1956), has been president of the Spanish Federation of Sports on Ice since 2005, while his younger child and son, Juan Antonio Samaranch Salisachs (born 1959), has been

630-589: The Olympic movement. With more than 10,000 artifacts, the museum is the largest archive of Olympic Games memorabilia in the world and one of Lausanne's prime tourist site draws attracting more than 250,000 visitors each year. The Olympic Museum and the Olympic Park (sculpture garden between the museum and Lake Léman ) are located at Ouchy , south of Lausanne. The headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are located at Vidy , to

665-662: The Prince and his wife Princess Charlene of Monaco are Olympians. In 2015, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach attended the World Olympians Forum in Moscow, Russia . In November 2017 at the 8th International Olympic Committee (IOC) International Athletes’ Forum, the World Olympians Association announced the OLY post-nominal letters initiative . The initiative allows Olympians to use

700-538: The Rome and Tokyo Games, he was also president of the Spanish delegation. Elected a member of the Spanish Olympic Committee in 1956, he became its president in 1967 until 1970. He was elected as an IOC member in 1966. Two years later, Avery Brundage appointed him head of protocol (1968–1975 and 1979–1980). A member of the executive board (1970–1978 and 1979–1980), he was IOC vice-president from 1974 to 1978. Elected to

735-733: The Winter Games in Sarajevo in 1984. He also made doping a priority issue by launching research and control programmes. The creation of the World Anti-Doping Agency in 1999 allowed the IOC Medical Commission to extend its scope of action. He also full opening of the Olympic Games to the best athletes regardless of their status. Finally, it was under his presidency that the Summer and Winter Games were organised two years apart, instead of in

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770-504: The longest being that of Pierre de Coubertin (29 years). Following his retirement, Samaranch played a major role in Madrid 's bid for the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, though both were unsuccessful. In 1991, he was raised into the Spanish nobility by King Juan Carlos of Spain and given the hereditary title of Marqués de Samaranch ( Marquess of Samaranch ), this in recognition of his contribution to

805-540: The municipal government of Barcelona, with responsibility for sports, from 1955 to 1962. He was a procurador (member of the lower house) of the Cortes Españolas during the last decade of the Franco regime , from 1964 until the restoration of democracy in 1977. From 1967 to 1971, he also served as "national delegate" (minister) for sports, and from 1973 to 1977 he was the president of the diputación (governing council) of

840-413: The number of participating member nations increased at every Games during Samaranch's presidency. Samaranch also wanted the best athletes to compete in the Olympics, which led to the gradual acceptance of professional athletes as opposed to amateurs or state-funded athletes, as was the case with the Soviet Union. He was awarded the 1990 Seoul Peace Prize . It became a tradition for Samaranch, when giving

875-399: The president's address at the close of each Summer Olympics, to praise the organisers at each Olympiad for putting on "the best ever" Games. In 2001, Samaranch did not apply for the presidency again. He was succeeded by Jacques Rogge . He then became honorary president for life of the International Olympic Committee. Samaranch served the second-longest term as the head of the IOC, 21 years,

910-415: The same year. Among the reforms to the running of the IOC, he imposed a new financial policy which allowed for the increase in revenues and the diversification of resources. Thanks to a large share of the revenues generated by agreements with TV channels, he restructured Olympic Solidarity in 1981 and provided assistance to National Olympic Committees in difficulty, and developed action plans to contribute to

945-514: The third floor, where the Olympic World part of the exhibition informs visitors of the history of the ancient Olympic Games and the rebirth of the modern Games in the 19th century. Highlights include a display of Olympic torches, as well as a video documenting major moments in the history of opening ceremonies history. The second floor focuses on Olympic Games. Sporting equipment for a variety of sports are on display, and visitors are introduced to

980-506: The transformations of the building, a temporary exhibition was set up in a boat ( Helvétie ) of the CGN , in front of the Olympic Park. With the renovation, the surface of the museum increased from 2,000 m (22,000 sq ft) (in 2011) to 3,000 m (32,000 sq ft) (in 2013). The permanent exhibition is organized into three major themes on three separate floors: Olympic World, Olympic Games, and Olympic Spirit. A visit begins on

1015-644: The two countries. Maintaining an active career within the Olympic Movement, Samaranch was elected vice-president of the International Mediterranean Games Committee for the second edition of the Games in Barcelona in 1955. On several occasions, he was appointed Chef de Mission: for the Winter Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo (1956), the Summer Games in Rome (1960), and the Summer Games in Tokyo (1964). For

1050-526: The universality of the Games. In 1991 he received the title of Marqués from the King of Spain for his involvement in the Olympic Movement. On 23 June 1993, the inauguration of the Olympic Museum , representing the memory and spirit of modern Olympism, the work of his career, crowned his presidency. On 16 July 2001, he left the seat of the IOC presidency to Jacques Rogge . Samaranch became Honorary Life President of

1085-625: The west of Ouchy. The museum was founded on 23 June 1993, on the initiative of then-president of the IOC Juan Antonio Samaranch . Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez , an International Olympic Committee member, and Jean-Pierre Cahen, were in charge of the project. The museum was named the European Museum of the Year in 1995. After 23 months of renovation between 2012 and 2013, the Olympic Museum re-opened on 21 December 2013. During

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1120-399: Was a Spanish sports administrator under the Franco regime (1973–1977) who served as the seventh President of the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) from 1980 to 2001. Juan Antonio Samaranch was born on 17 July 1920 in Barcelona as the third of six children in a wealthy Catalan family. In 1938, during the Spanish Civil War , he was conscripted to serve as a medical assistant in

1155-495: Was appointed Government Secretary for Sports by Spanish Head of State Francisco Franco in 1967. He also became the president of the Spanish National Olympic Committee and a member of the IOC. He was vice-president of the IOC from 1974 to 1978. Samaranch became President elect in 1980 at the 83rd IOC Session (15–18 July) which was held in Moscow prior to the 1980 Summer Olympics —and took office soon after

1190-869: Was attended by representatives of the Spanish royal family and of the Olympic movement. He was buried at the Montjuïc Cemetery . After his death, in June 2010, the Juan Antonio Samaranch Olympic and Sport Museum and the Olympic Hall Juan Antonio Samaranch , formerly Olympic Hall Zetra, in Sarajevo , Bosnia, were renamed in his honour. Olympic Museum The Olympic Museum ( French : Musée olympique ) in Lausanne , Switzerland houses permanent and temporary exhibits relating to sport and

1225-844: Was created by the World Olympians Association in partnership with the IOC Department of Culture and Heritage. It was launched during the 2016 Summer Olympics with a physical display at the Olympians Reunion Centre during the games. The project celebrates Olympians who have left a positive legacy on the world both during and after their competitive days. People who have served as president of the Association ;: Juan Antonio Samaranch Juan Antonio Samaranch y Torelló, 1st Marquess of Samaranch ( Catalan : Joan Antoni Samaranch i Torelló , Catalan pronunciation: [ʒuˈan ənˈtɔni səməˈɾaŋ] ; 17 July 1920 – 21 April 2010)

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