Death of IOC Honorary Member Maurice Herzog

Lausanne, Dec 16: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was saddened to learn of the death of IOC honorary member Maurice Herzog at the age of 93.

Herzog became an IOC member in 1970, a position he held for a quarter of a century before being named an honorary member in 1995. He was IOC Chief of Protocol from 1975 to 1978 and a member of the following Commissions: New Sources of Financing (1983-1987), Press (1989-1991), and Preparation of the XII Olympic Congress – Congress of Unity (1989-1994).

Born in Lyon, France, on 5 January 1919, Herzog rose to fame after leading an expedition to the summit of the Himalayan mountain Annapurna in 1950, becoming, along with fellow Frenchman Louis Lachenal, the first people to climb a peak over 8,000 metres.

Herzog wrote of the historic climb in his book “Annapurna First 8000”, which sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and was translated into 50 languages. He was also the author of “A look at Annapurna”, “The Expedition to Annapurna”, “The Mountain”, “The Alps I Love”, “The Alps”, “Great Adventures of the Himalaya”, and “The Other Annapurna”.

In addition to his love of mountaineering, Herzog enjoyed skiing and golfing. He held the post of French Minister of Youth and Sport from 1958 to 1963 and was the Mayor of Chamonix, France, from 1969 to 1977.

France decorated Herzog with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour in 2011.

The IOC expresses its deepest sympathy to Maurice Herzog’s family. —- IOC