IOC Mourns the Passing of Honorary Member Olegario Vázquez Raña

[Lausanne] — The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is deeply saddened to announce the passing of IOC Honorary Member Olegario Vázquez Raña at the age of 89.

Born in 1935, Vázquez Raña was a distinguished Mexican shooter who competed in four Olympic Games and broke the air rifle world record at the 1975 Pan American Games. He served as an IOC Member from 1995 to 2015 and became an Honorary Member in 2016. He contributed significantly to key IOC commissions, including Olympic Solidarity, Marketing, the IOC 2000 reform programme, and the Olympic Channel.

A lifelong sports administrator, he led the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) from 1980 and later became its Honorary President. He also served as President of the Shooting Confederation of the Americas, was Lifelong Honorary President of Mexico’s Shooting Federation, and a Permanent Member of the Mexican Olympic Committee.

IOC President Thomas Bach paid tribute, saying: “Vázquez Raña dedicated his life to sport, championed the modernization of shooting, and was a staunch defender of Olympic values. His wisdom and friendship will be greatly missed.”

Beyond sport, Vázquez Raña was a prominent entrepreneur, founder of Grupo Empresarial Angeles, with business interests in healthcare, tourism, finance, and media. He also led the Mexican Red Cross and received numerous honors, including the Olympic Order, Spain’s Grand Cross of Civil Merit, and the Grand Medal from the City of Paris.

In his memory, the Olympic flag will be flown at half-mast at Olympic House for three days.