The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has mourned the demise of IOC Honorary Member Fernando F. Lima Bello, who passed away at the age of 89.
Lima Bello was a world champion sailor (Snipe) in 1953 and competed at two Olympic Games, Mexico City 1968 and Munich 1972 (Dragon). He was later a member of the International Sailing Federation (now World Sailing) and President of the Olympic Committee of Portugal.
IOC President Thomas Bach in a statement said: "I got to know Fernando when he was part of the Evaluation Commission for the Olympic Games Athens 2004. He was not only a very good friend but someone who always knew every last detail of the entire dossier."
"He was someone who worked tirelessly to ensure the best conditions for the athletes and who always strove to promote the Olympic values," he added.
The Portuguese sailor also played football and tennis, and enjoyed a successful professional career in civil engineering, taking up positions such as Director General of a road construction company; member of the Registration Committee for Public Works Contractors; Director of the Regional Association of Contractors and Constructors; and Director of the Construction Department at the Ministry of Employment.
According to the statement, Lima Bello's involvement with the Olympic Movement in Portugal started in 1975 with his appointment as a member of the National Olympic Committee (NOC).
He later joined the NOC's Executive Board from 1977 to 1980, when he attended the Games of the XXII Olympiad Moscow 1980 as Chef de Mission for the Portuguese team.
One year later, he was elected President of the Olympic Committee of Portugal, a position he held until 1989, the year of his election as an IOC Member. At national level, Lima Bello was also a member of the Higher Sports Council and the Sports Council for High Level Competition.
"The IOC expresses its deepest sympathies to Fernando F. Lima Bello's family. As a mark of respect, the Olympic flag will be flown at half-mast at Olympic House," a statement read.
During his 21-year tenure at the IOC, he was a member of Commissions with mostly a strong focus on the cultural and educational aspects of the Olympic Movement: Cultural (1985-1999), International Olympic Academy and Olympic Education (1990-1999), Eligibility (1992-1993), Evaluation for the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in 2004 (1996), and Culture and Olympic Education (2000-2010). He had been an IOC Honorary Member since 2010.
( With inputs from ANI )
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