Francois Carrard, Former IOC Director General passes away at age 83
Former International Olympic Committee (IOC) Director General Francois Carrard passed away in Lausanne on Sunday, January 9, 2022, at the age of 83, after a short illness.
A Doctor of Law from the University of Lausanne, François Carrard spent two years at a law firm in Stockholm before being admitted to the Bar in 1967, when he joined the firm of Carrard & Associés. He specialised in sports law before becoming the IOC’s Director General from 1989 until 2003 under IOC Presidents Juan Antonio Samaranch and Jacques Rogge. In this role he worked closely with the International Federations (IFs) and with ASOIF on matters regarding the Olympic Games, but also the Olympic Movement at large.
Carrard also played a key role in the setting-up of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the introduction of the first World Anti-Doping Code. In addition, he was heavily involved in revamping the Olympic Charter and in the IOC Commission on Apartheid and Olympism. Carrard acted as an outstanding communicator for the IOC after being appointed spokesperson for the IOC Executive Board (EB) under President Samaranch.
