In Beijing, as I had more of a background role, I had more of a chance to see the Games. Organising the Games is a very complex affair, and the risk when you are working all the time to resolve the day-to-day problems is that all the magic disappears. The third moment was the Games in Beijing in February this year, despite the difficult circumstances that we all remember. We all had a unique time watching everything on TV, and we opened a few bottles of Catalan cava that night… I was the one who stayed, as I couldn’t leave the rest of the team, who had no choice in the matter. On the day of the Opening Ceremony, we were told that we could go to the stadium, but that one of the four directors would have to remain on duty to deal with any emergencies. We were stuck there for the whole of the Games. I was based in the Main Operations Centre together with the three other deputy directors general in charge of operations. The second defining moment for me was obviously the Games in Barcelona. I was impressed, but I think that I was also afraid for the first time in my life, as I knew that we would have to organise the Games four years later! I discovered their grandeur and universality. The first was certainly Seoul 1988, my first Games as an observer. What have been the most defining moments for you? You have played a part in the success of 18 editions of the Olympic Games. A passion that he put into practice playing water polo for 15 years, and which he has never stopped sharing with all those lucky enough to meet him. It isn’t easy to sum up in just a few lines the career of an extraordinary man driven by his passion for sport and its values. I’m not really a creative person, but I think I know how to listen, choose good ideas and then put them into practice. When you ask him what he is most proud of, he talks fondly about his team, with a mixture of recognition and emotion. He travelled the world, creating strong bonds with all the Olympic Movement stakeholders, and making friends, too. He always listened and offered advice, with his trademark smile and kindliness. Its role in our societies is more important than ever. Sport is a school of life, a way of life. He stood down from this position in 2019 but continued in the key role of Deputy Director General for Relations with the Olympic Movement. Among other things, he was tasked with setting up and then leading the Olympic Solidarity Department, before creating and then heading the Relations with the National Olympic Committees Department. Then came an exciting career with increasing responsibilities and the continued trust of the Presidents who succeeded Samaranch: Jacques Rogge and Thomas Bach. Working in tandem with the IOC Sports Director, he formalised the way in which the IOC interacted with the Organising Committees. Pere Miró joined the IOC in November 1992 at the request of President Juan Antonio Samaranch, with whom he had worked closely during the Games in Barcelona.
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