Editing Juan Antonio Samaranch (section)

==IOC Presidency==
[[File:Juan Antonio Samaranch and Jean-Pascal Delamuraz by Erling Mandelmann.jpg|thumb|Samaranch (left) and [[Jean-Pascal Delamuraz]] (c. 1982–1984)]]
Samaranch became [[President of the International Olympic Committee|President]] elect in 1980 at the 83rd [[List of IOC meetings|IOC Session]] (15–18 July) which was held in Moscow prior to the [[1980 Summer Olympics]]—and took office soon after the Games.<ref>{{cite book|title=Olympic Review|volume=N154|date=August 1980|pages=410–412|url=http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1980/ore154/ORE154k.pdf|access-date=26 June 2012|archive-date=8 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100808170934/http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1980/ore154/ORE154k.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

During his term, Samaranch oversaw the Olympic Games returned to financial health, with big television deals and sponsorships established through the efforts of [[Dick Pound]], President of the Canadian Olympic Committee. Although the [[1984 Summer Olympics]] were still boycotted by the Soviet bloc, 140 [[National Olympic Committee]]s took part in those Games, a record number at the time.<ref>{{cite news|title=NO BOYCOTT BLUES|url=https://www.olympic.org/los-angeles-1984|website=olympic.org|access-date=January 6, 2017|archive-date=27 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627065520/https://www.olympic.org/los-angeles-1984|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="IOC">{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=1984|title=Games of the XXIII Olympiad|publisher=International Olympic Committee| access-date=August 31, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080830223138/http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=1984| archive-date=August 30, 2008| url-status=live}}</ref> and the number of participating member nations increased at every Games during Samaranch's presidency. Samaranch also wanted the best athletes to compete in the Olympics, which led to the gradual acceptance of professional athletes as opposed to amateurs or state-funded athletes, as was the case with the Soviet Union.

He was awarded the 1990 [[Seoul Peace Prize]].

It became a tradition for Samaranch, when giving the president's address at the close of each Summer Olympics, to praise the organisers at each Olympiad for putting on "the best ever" Games.<ref name="Best ever">{{cite news|first=Simon|last=Kuper|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/be6c3c56-6e64-11dc-b818-0000779fd2ac.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/be6c3c56-6e64-11dc-b818-0000779fd2ac.html |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription|title=Beijing strikes gold in the propaganda Olympics|newspaper=Financial Times|date=29 September 2007|page=10}}</ref><ref name="Atlanta criticism">{{cite news|title=The Coca Cola Olympics|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=5 August 1996|page=15}}</ref>

In 2001, Samaranch did not apply for the presidency again. He was succeeded by [[Jacques Rogge]]. He then became honorary president for life of the International Olympic Committee. Samaranch served the second-longest term as the head of the IOC, 21 years, the longest being that of [[Pierre de Coubertin]] (29 years). Following his retirement, Samaranch played a major role in [[Madrid]]'s bid for the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, though both were unsuccessful. In 1991, he was raised into the [[Spanish nobility]] by [[Juan Carlos I of Spain|King Juan Carlos of Spain]] and given the hereditary title of ''[[Marquessate of Samaranch|Marqués de Samaranch]]'' (''Marquess of Samaranch''), this in recognition of his contribution to the Olympic movement.<ref name="beeb">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympic_games/8633190.stm|title=Ex-Olympic chief Juan Antonio Samaranch dies|date=21 April 2010 |work=BBC Sport|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=21 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://boe.es/boe/dias/1991/12/31/pdfs/A42047-42047.pdf |title=Boletin Oficial del Estado: Royal Decree 1861/1991 |access-date=22 April 2010 |archive-date=26 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110626195315/http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1991/12/31/pdfs/A42047-42047.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>