Research topic: Juan Antonio Samaranch

Juan Antonio Samaranch (Juan Antonio Samaranch Torello, marqués de Samaranch), 1920-, Spanish Olympic official. He was a businessman, an elected public official, and served (1977-80) as Spanish ambassador to the USSR. In 1954 he joined the Spanish Olympic committee, became (1966) a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and was IOC president from 1980 to 2001. During his tenure the commercial profitability of the Olympics increased enormously, largely due to the television revenues, corporate sponsorships, and licensing agreements he helped to arrange, and he oversaw such... Read more