"We express our deepest condolences on his unfortunate passing and to his family," he said.

Yi Siling, a gold medalist in shooting at the 2012 Olympics, was presented the award by Rogge. She said on Weibo that Rogge was always full of smiles when she met him. He loved to be around athletes, and it was thanks to his efforts that the world witnessed the birth of the Youth Olympic Games.

"I knew that he had been suffering from illness, but it was still a shock when I read the news of his death this morning," Yi said.