Sebastian Coe’s tribute to Olympics moderniser Juan Antonio Samaranch

During a 21-year reign as president of the International Olympic Committee, Samaranch oversaw the abolition of amateurism at the Games and the increasing value of TV and sponsorship rights.

He also championed the representation of women in the IOC and set up the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Coe, who had been close to Samaranch for three decades, claimed he had been an inspiration.

"I have lost a friend, one that moulded my path through sport from my early 20s and the world has lost an inspirational man," said Coe.

"A man that challenged us all to fight for sport, its primacy and its autonomy, a fight he led fearlessly from the front, creating an extraordinary sporting movement that reaches millions of people around the world.

"He was quite simply the most intuitive leader I have ever met."

But Samaranch's critics contend that the Spaniard's commercial achievements helped fuel the greed that led to the Salt Lake corruption scandal which exploded in late 1998 and argue that he failed to address adequately the growing menace of drugs in sport.

Samaranch had suffered a number of health problems since his retirement and died in hospital in his home town of Barcelona two days after being admitted with heart problems.

His successor at the IOC, Jacques Rogge, said he was saddened to hear the news. "I cannot find the words to express the distress of the Olympic Family," he said.