European Athletics president Svein Hansen dies

Svein Arne Hansen, the president of European Athletics and longtime organizer of the Bislett Games in Norway, died on Saturday at 74 after failing to recover from a stroke that he suffered in March, reported Xinhua.

The Norwegian took part in many sports during his youth and, after graduating from university with a degree in mathematics, qualified as a track and field referee, and later became a host of a sports program at a local radio station.

In 1985, Hansen was promoted to the meeting director for the Bislett Games, a position he held for 24 years. During his time as meeting director, the Bislett Games was part of the IAAF Grand Prix, Golden Four, and the Golden League. He was also a member of the IAAF Grand Prix Commission from 1985 to 1998, a member of the IAAF Golden League working group from 1997 to 2009, and president of the Norwegian Athletics Federation from 2003 to 2015.

After serving as president of EuroMeetings from 1998 to 2006, Hansen was elected vice president of European Athletics from 2007 to 2011 and was later elected president in 2015. He had been a World Athletics Council Member since 2015.

He helped to introduce the "I Run Clean" anti-doping education program to European Athletics, and made personal contact with athletics officials to ensure that leaders, coaches and practitioners followed the upgraded guidelines.

"We have known each other for 43 years. Svein gave me my first big international break in athletics at the Bislett Games in Oslo and provided me with the platform for two of my three world records in 41 days back in 1979," said World Athletics president Sebastian Coe. "Our deepest sympathies go to his family and the European Athletics family who today lost their hugely popular and effective president."