28 March 2025 – It is with profound sorrow that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has learned of the death of Mr Olegario Vázquez Raña, IOC Honorary Member, at the age of 89.
Born on 10 December 1935, Mr Vázquez Raña was a prominent figure in international sport, business and public service. A four-time Olympian, he represented Mexico in shooting at the Olympic Games at Tokyo 1964, Mexico City 1968, Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976. He notably broke his own world record in the air rifle at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico – a testament to his excellence as an athlete.
Mr Vázquez Raña was an IOC Member from 1995 to 2015, and became an Honorary Member in 2016. He contributed to several key IOC commissions, including the Olympic Solidarity, Marketing, IOC 2000 (reform programme) and Olympic Channel commissions.
A dedicated sports administrator, Mr Vázquez Raña held numerous other leadership roles over several decades. He served as President of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) from 1980 and was later named its Honorary President. He led the Shooting Confederation of the Americas from 1979 to 2010 and remained its Honorary President thereafter. He was also Lifelong Honorary President of Mexico’s Shooting Federation and a Permanent Member of the Mexican National Olympic Committee from 1969.
IOC President Thomas Bach expressed his condolences, saying: “Olegario Vázquez Raña dedicated his life to the service of sport – as an athlete, an administrator and a global advocate for the sport of shooting, he promoted his sport with an unparalleled passion and dedication, and modernised it. As an IOC Member, he always defended the Olympic values, and I had the great privilege to benefit from his valuable advice over many years and call him a true friend. The entire Olympic Movement will remember him with great respect and gratitude for his profound legacy. Our thoughts are with his beloved spouse, Gela, and all his family.”
Beyond his accomplishments in sport, Mr Vázquez Raña was a visionary entrepreneur. He was the President and founder of Grupo Empresarial Angeles, one of Mexico’s leading business conglomerates. The group spans key sectors such as health services – operating 32 Hospitales Angeles across the country – as well as tourism, finance and media. His leadership extended to national media as President of Grupo Imagen, which includes the national newspaper Excelsior, a radio network with 70 affiliates and the national television network Cadena Tres. He also served the public as President of the Mexican Red Cross from 2001 to 2006.
His dedication was recognised with numerous distinctions, including the Olympic Order, Mexico’s National Sports Award, and international honours such as the Great Cross of Civil Merit (Spain) and the “Grande Médaille, échellon vermeille” from the City of Paris. He was named Mexican Athlete of the 20th Century by the National Sports Commission and the Ministry of Education in 2000, and was awarded the title of Businessman of the Year in the tourism sector in 2012.
As a mark of respect, the Olympic flag will be flown at half-mast for three days at Olympic House.
