The wife of Juan Antonio Samaranch, the president of the International Olympic Committee, passed away yesterday before her husband could arrive to be at her bedside.
As president of Sydney 2000, Michael Knight expressed his condolences yesterday and said that all flags at the Olympic stadium and at hotels where IOC officials were staying would fly at half mast from noon yesterday until noon today.
"It was with great sadness that we have learnt today of Mrs Samaranch's passing," Knight said in a press release.
"Mrs [Maria Theresa] Samaranch was a remarkable woman whose energy, warmth and sense of fun touched everyone she met. A few minutes spent with her could brighten your whole day," he said.
In a press conference yesterday afternoon IOC Director General Francois Carrard said that Samaranch's wife passed away around two hours before her husband's plane landed in Barcelona. The flight from Sydney to Barcelona takes about 20 hours.
He also said that the most difficult time for her was around the time of the opening ceremony. Samaranch's daughter reportedly called him during the ceremony several times, urging him to return to Barcelona.
Upon Samaranch's departure, IOC Vice President Dick Pound has overseen day-to-day activities of the committee, giving the 56-year-old Canadian lawyer a chance to show his leadership capabilities. Samaranch, who has headed the IOC for 20 years, will step down in July when the committee elects a new president.
Pound -- a former Olympic swimmer -- played a crucial role last year in the wake of the Salt Lake City bidding scandal and the IOC's determination to crack down on corruption.
Last year he vowed to deal with corruption "fully, firmly and finally."
Pound has downplayed his temporary switch in roles, saying on Saturday after Samaranch's departure that taking over was just part of his job as vice president.
Another candidate who is widely seen as a rival to Pound for the post is Jacques Rogge, 58, an Orthopedic surgeon who joined the IOC in 1991. Rogge is currently the chairman of the coordination commission for the Sydney 2000 games.
While Carrard could not confirm whether Samaranch would return to the Games, he did say that he knew the president wanted to return.
"I don't know how and when, but definitely his plans are that he should come back," Carrard said.
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