Former IOC president Samaranch hospitalized

Former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch has been reportedly hospitalized following a mild heart attack.

Former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch has been reportedly hospitalized following a mild heart attack.

HT Image

The 89-year-old Samaranch, who headed the IOC from 1980 to 2001, collapsed while attending the Sportel international sports television festival yesterday, L'Equipe reported on its Web site.

He was admitted at Princess Grace Hospital Centre in Monaco. Nobody was immediately available for comment at the hospital.

Samaranch, who was succeeded as IOC president by Jacques Rogge, spent two days in a Madrid hospital two years ago after a dizzy spell.

He was hospitalized in Switzerland in 2001 for "extreme fatigue" and in Barcelona for high blood pressure. He has also received regular dialysis treatment for kidney trouble.

As honorary IOC president for life, Samaranch has continued to attend IOC meetings.