When the first Olympic Games in your city catch you with your father presiding over the body that promotes them and you about to turn 33, there is no doubt that you have to live them intensely and that they must deeply mark you. Whether you live it with melancholy or not afterward is up to you. This has not been, apparently, the case of Juan Antonio Samaranch Salisachs, who has been living in Madrid for a long time and who also a few years ago ceased to be vice president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), although he now returns to the position.
From the conversation we were able to have at the opening of the cycle Moments Estel·lars de la Barcelona Contemporània organized by The New Barcelona Post at Casa Seat with the collaboration of Must Media Group, I distill above all this. Little desire to dwell on the past and live it with nostalgia. On the part of the protagonist, at least.
He does not believe that neither Barcelona nor the people of Barcelona have changed so much as not to be able to dazzle the whole world again. Although to find any change of certain relevance that could stop or slow down the ability to repeat this success, one must look for it in a political class that, despite the typical squabbles, perhaps now it is difficult to see it find a moment of truce (Olympic) to defend with unity some project for the city and the country.
Samaranch also does not remain anchored in the classic model of the Olympic Games. Before, they were synonymous with infrastructure and investments for the host city. Now he says they are, above all, "a good idea." And he defends their sustainability. Both economic and environmental.
He argues that Olympic Games like the 2030 Winter Games can bring the classic advantages (and so necessary, as things have been for some time now) of a boost in morale, collective self-esteem, values linked to sport, in addition to generating jobs and very strong economic activity. But as for investments, only those that the host city or country wants, and only if they are truly necessary.
He downplays the significance of the spat with the socialist government of Aragon, because he believes that from the outside this conflict "is seen, but not lived." And he quietly acknowledges that what could give a Barcelona role to the bid (ice, that is, skating and hockey) is what is in dispute with the annoying neighbors.
Will it happen? Will it not happen? Samaranch is optimistic. He was made happy by the announcement of the America's Cup coming to Barcelona, which was visualized in that photo of politicians celebrating it with the organizers in the Port, where not even the prompter was missing (see here Mayor Ada Colau). It reminded him of that photo in a boat with his father, Jordi Pujol, Pasqual Maragall, Narcís Serra, businessman Carles Ferrer Salat and Josep Miquel Abad, from the 1992 organizing committee. "There are green shoots" of Barcelona's recovery, he says. He believes that the celebration of this cup in the city could be a first step in terms of a major event to officialize it, and the 2030 Winter Olympics could be the second. We shall see.
Will he help as vice-president? Because, in fact, what does a vice-president do? In the IOC and everywhere else, there is usually doubt. He doesn't quite answer completely, but he makes it clear that he will be able to help.