Farewell to the IOC's 'Mr Normal'

Rogge adored Cubist art but abstract was more within his financial reach.

His presidency reflected that, a tightly run ship－appropriate for a three-time Olympic sailor.

His brainchild, the Youth Olympic Games was created.

Rugby and golf were voted back into the Games and women's boxing was one of the standout successes at what was also considered one of the best Games of all time in London in 2012.

"Have I enjoyed it? Not always. Was it exciting? Definitely, and it was a privilege of course to be president," said Rogge when asked to sum up his spell in charge.

"You have good and bad moments, but the fact is the biggest reward for me was the athletes' welfare and in that I was successful."

Rogge's outwardly severe-looking manner hid a warm personality－jokes at his own expense never far from his lips.

While he might have been the master of world sports it was far from being the case at home, as he learned at an early age.

"I was a ringside doctor for five years," he told AFP in 2009.

"I was young, my shirt would often be spattered with blood as I was closest to the bout. I would come home with my shirt spattered in blood and my wife would say to me 'you clean it'."