Condolence Book opened for Samaranch
Published:Friday | April 23, 2010 | 9:27 AM
A Condolence Book has been opened at the Embassy of Spain for former International Olympic Committee (IOC), President Juan Antonio Samaranch who died on Wednesday. He was 89.
The Quiron Hospital in Barcelona, Spain said Samaranch died after being admitted with heart problems.
Samaranch was a close friend of the Caribbean and a personal friend of the current Ambassador of Spain to Jamaica, Jesus Silva.
The Condolence Book may be signed between 9 a.m. in the morning and 3 p.m. today, Monday and Tuesday at the offices of the Embassy of Spain, sixth floor Courtleigh Corporate Centre, 6-8 St Lucia Avenue.
Samaranch headed the IOC from 1980 to 2001. He retired as the second-longest serving president in the history of the IOC. He was succeeded by current president Jacques Rogge.
Samaranch was a reserved but shrewd dealmaker whose 21-year term was marked by the unprecedented growth of the Olympics and the Salt Lake City corruption scandal.
When Samaranch came to power in 1980, the IOC was virtually bankrupt and the Olympics were battered by boycotts, terrorism and financial troubles.
When he left, the IOC\'s coffers were bulging from billions of dollars in commercial revenues, the boycott era was over, and the games were entrenched as the world\'s favorite sports festival.