Seventh President of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch was born on 17 July 1920 in Barcelona.

An industrialist and President of the "Diputación" of his home province, his ascension to the zenith of the Olympic Movement began by the unusual path of roller-skating: he led the Spanish team to the world title.

Elected as an IOC member in 1966, then Chief of Protocol in 1968, his qualities as an untiring worker were soon put to use within various commissions. In 1970, he became a member of the Executive Board, and Vice-President of the IOC from 1974 to 1978. In 1977, Spain restored diplomatic relations with the USSR and Juan Antonio Samaranch was appointed Ambassador to Moscow (1977-1980). He returned to the Executive Board in 1979, as Chief of Protocol. Elected to the presidency of the IOC in the first ballot on 16 July 1980, he succeeded Lord Killanin whose career terminated with the extinction of the Olympic flame on 3 August 1980.

From the time he took up office, he tried to give a new direction to the Olympic Movement which was badly shaken by the political difficulties of the XXII Olympiad, and undertook a long voyage around the world to establish numerous contacts with Heads of State and sports leaders and to defend the Olympic cause. He secured the IOC's status as an international non-governmental organisation and restructured its finances (television rights, sponsorship programmes). He kept the Olympic flame alive during the crisis years of boycotts (Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984). It was through his efforts that the Olympic Museum was built in Lausanne (1993).

When the IOC found itself in crisis, because of abuses of trust by some of its members, he undertook major reforms to the structure of the institution. Mr Samaranch's mandate ended on the 16 July 2001, in Moscow, where he was elected Honorary President for Life.