Athens Olympics official and former IOC vice president Lambis Nikolaou dies at 89

By: The Associated Press Posted: 1:40 PM CDT Monday, Oct. 27, 2025

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Lambis Nikolaou, a former International Olympic Committee vice president who helped to organize the 2004 Athens Summer Games, has died. He was 89.

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LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Lambis Nikolaou, a former International Olympic Committee vice president who helped to organize the 2004 Athens Summer Games, has died. He was 89.

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LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Lambis Nikolaou, a former International Olympic Committee vice president who helped to organize the 2004 Athens Summer Games, has died. He was 89.

Nikolaou was an IOC member for 29 years through 2015 and had since been an honorary member. The cause of his death was not stated by the IOC on Monday.

“Lambis Nikolaou lived and breathed the Olympic spirit in everything he did,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry said in a statement.

FILE - Lambis Nikolaou, head of the Greek Olympic Committee, right, hands the Olympic Flame to Mitt Romney, head of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, at the Panathenian stadium in Athens on Dec. 3, 2001. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, file)

He was president of the Greek Olympic body for the seven years leading to the Athens Olympics, and by then was on the IOC executive board. He rose in status to be a vice president for four years through 2009 under the IOC leadership of Jacques Rogge.

“For all of us who had the privilege to work with him, we know first-hand his tireless efforts to strengthen Greece’s presence within the global Olympic family,” said Isidoros Kouvelos, president of the national Olympic committee.

The IOC said its flag will fly at half-staff for three days at its Lausanne, Switzerland, headquarters as a mark of respect.