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| Monday, July 16 |
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| Samaranch's last day bittersweet Associated Press | |||
MOSCOW -- On his last day in office, Juan Antonio Samaranch
savored victory, tasted a rare personal defeat, and found ways to
remind everyone that, even in the final hours, he was still the
boss.
Samaranch led the Olympics from the brink of economic and
political ruin two decades ago to unsurpassed riches and influence
at the start of the new millennium.
Standing in Moscow's ornate Hall of Columns, he beamed with
pride as Jacques Rogge, a Belgian surgeon and Olympic sailor, was
chosen to succeed him as president of the International Olympic
Committee.
"This is a very important day in my life," Samaranch said.
"It's been so long that I've been head of the IOC. It's a joy to
have a credible successor. I am fulfilled. He is young and he knows
sport very well."
Samaranch also was granted one of his last -- and most questioned -- wishes when the delegates voted to add his son, Juan Antonio
Samaranch Jr., to the membership. The count was 71-27 with 11
abstentions.
As his son clutched the Olympic flag and pledged to adhere to
the ideals of fair play and peace, Samaranch inclined his head and
smiled. He draped the gold medallion of membership around his son's
neck, and the two embraced and exchanged kisses on the cheek.
The nomination -- the first time an IOC president has seen his
son put up for membership -- has been criticized for continuing the
old-club traditions that the committee has been trying to shed in
the wake of the Salt Lake City bid scandal.
That criticism reached the floor Monday when New Zealand member
Tay Wilson, for the second time, questioned the wisdom of allowing
a lame-duck president to bring in new members.
Samaranch had some scolding words for Wilson.
"It is the choice of the executive board, not the president,"
he said. "It will be the same after I leave the presidency."
But the IOC rebuffed Samaranch's efforts on another nominee when
it rejected former Swiss President Adolf Ogi, 59-46 with four
abstentions. Ogi, a close friend of Samaranch, would have been the
sixth Swiss member of the 130-member IOC. Opponents said that was
too many.
Samaranch seemed shaken by the rejection of Ogi, who is now
United Nations ambassador on sports and peace. His voice trembled
as he read out the result. Earlier, he had pleaded with members to
accept the nomination, saying it would help relations between the
IOC and the UN.
The ceremonial announcement of Rogge's election left the IOC
with two presidents for the rest of the day. Rogge formally takes
over Friday, so Samaranch was still in charge when the 112th
general assembly went back into session, introducing his successor
and sharing some wisdom.
"I would like to tell him something," the 81-year-old Spaniard
said. "He was elected not only president of the International
Olympic Committee. He was voted president of the Olympic
movement."
In his last speech, a seemingly unemotional Samaranch said his
lowest point came during the Salt Lake City scandal. Even then, he
said, the bad times proved to be good.
"These 21 years have been the most important, the most pleasant
and joyful of my life," he said. "We weathered many storms, big
and small, but they all served their purposes. Even in the darkest
days, there is a positive element, a silver lining. The silver
lining was that the International Olympic Committee decided to
change."
After hours of ceremonies, awards and tributes, it was finally
over for Samaranch. Among his last words were his self-description
as the "ex-president of the International Olympic Committee."
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