The AIMS family sends their deepest condolences on the passing of IOC Member Alex Gilady at the age of 79.
A pioneer of television at the Olympic Games, he was first a sports commentator (1968), then Head of Sports (1975), Special Operations (1977), Vice President (1981-1996) and Senior Vice President of NBC Sports, the longstanding Olympic Rights-Holding Broadcaster in the United States of America. NBC’s initial Games broadcast was in Tokyo in 1964, the same year Mr Gilady started his career as a journalist in his home country of Israel.
His contribution to Olympic broadcasting was recognised by the IOC with his appointment in 1984 to the Radio and Television Commission (in which he stayed until 2015), and 10 years later with his election as an IOC Member.
IOC President Thomas Bach said: “With the passing of Alex Gilady we are losing a pioneer of the modern Olympic Movement, particularly in regard to broadcasting, but also far beyond that. He has always stood up for the Olympic values, often when sometimes the situation was not easy for him.
“We all appreciated his open personality and his frank way of speaking even if we did not always agree, because with Alex we always knew that he was speaking from the heart. He was always a genuine person.”
President Bach added: “In Alex I have lost a dear friend who advised, inspired and supported me in many respects. In fact, it was Alex who convinced me in 1996 to run for a seat on the Executive Board for the first time. Since then, he has always been at my side. Above all, he was a great man and a wonderful friend.”
AIMS President stated, “We always will remember him as someone who put sport at the forefront but also his pleasant and fun personality.”
Read More:https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-announces-passing-of-ioc-member-alex-gilady