The wife of International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch died in Barcelona on Saturday after a long illness. Samaranch left Sydney straight after the opening ceremony on Friday, however his wife, Maria Teresa Salisachs-Rowe, 62, passed away before he arrived back in Spain.

The IOC's Canadian vice president Dick Pound was left to assume the role of president in Samaranch's absence. The Sydney Games are the 80-year-old Spaniard's last Olympics as president. He will step down next July after 21 years in office.

Samaranch took over as head of the organisation after Ireland's Lord Killanin vacated the seat in 1980.

Killanin died in Dublin earlier this year after a long illness.