27 October 2025 – It is with profound sadness that the IOC has learnt of the death of Lambis V. Nikolaou at the age of 89. Mr Nikolaou devoted his entire life to the Olympic Movement, both in Greece and beyond.
On learning of his passing, IOC President Kirsty Coventry said: “Lambis Nikolaou lived and breathed the Olympic spirit in everything he did. His long and remarkable service to sport has left an enduring legacy behind. His wealth of knowledge and commitment to the Olympic ideals will be sorely missed.”
An IOC Member since 1986 and an IOC Honorary Member since 2016, he served two terms as President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC), from 1985 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2004, and was a member of the Executive Committee of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), from 1989 to 1993 and from 1997 to 2009.
As one of the driving forces behind the Greek capital’s candidacy for the Olympic Games in 2004, he was subsequently appointed Vice-President of the Organising Committee for this historic and unforgettable Games edition.
In 2001, Mr Nikolaou was elected to the IOC Executive Board, and he held the position of IOC Vice-President between 2005 and 2009. He chaired the Commission for Culture and Olympic Education (2010–2015) and the Commission for Culture and Olympic Heritage (2015–2016), and was a member of the Marketing Commission (1995–2014), the “IOC 2000” Commission (1999), the Nominations Commission (2010–2014) and the Coordination Commission for the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing (2010–2014).
His background as a civil engineer meant he relished the challenge of overseeing large-scale construction projects. He notably initiated and supervised the construction of the International Olympic Academy (IOA) Conference Centre in Ancient Olympia (1993) and the new HOC headquarters in Athens (1998).
The IOC expresses its deepest sympathies to his family and friends. As a mark of respect, the Olympic flag will be flown at half-mast at Olympic House in Lausanne for three days.
