Samaranch, who remained active in Spanish sports administration after stepping down as the head of the IOC, was also a key part of Madrid's failed bids to hold the Olympics in 2012 and 2016. He had been plagued by health problems in recent years. Samaranch retired as the second-longest serving president in the history of the IOC, after Pierre de Coubertin, who was in office longer, serving for 29 years (1896