But Samaranch turned the IOC into a financially independent organization with billions of dollars in commercial revenues - and an audience that reaches every corner of the world.

Pound says the momentum was created in large part by Samaranch's leadership.

"You had a very good feeling for what it was you were all trying to do together and I think that is a sign of a particularly good leader," added Pound.

Samaranch's presidency, though, was also marred by controversy. He was criticized for serving the dictatorship of Francisco Franco in Spain in the 1960s and '70s. And his critics also said the games had become over-commercialized and riddled with performance-enhancing drugs during his leadership.

The biggest scandal came in 1998 when IOC members were accused of taking bribes during Utah's bid to secure the 2002 Winter Games. The Salt Lake City scandal ended in the sacking of six IOC members and the resignation of another four.

"That kind of stuck to Samaranch because he was the president," explained Pound. "And I think the same way you get credit for a lot of the good things that happen, sometimes you have to take the heat for things that go wrong, even though you were not personally responsible in any of the wrong doing."

George Washington University Olympic Scholar Lisa Delpy Neirotti says Samaranch's lasting legacy is the diversity he brought to the games. He brought women into the IOC fold, she says, and always ensured funds were available to support countries and athletes in financial need.