IAAF mourns loss of General Secretary Istvan Gyulai

The IAAF regrets to announce that Istvan Gyulai, who has been General Secretary since 1991, passed away in the early hours of this morning. He was 62 years old.

“It is with deep regret that I have to announce the death of a friend and valued colleague,” said IAAF President Lamine Diack this morning.

“Istvan devoted his entire life to our sport. As a young man, he was an international athlete in the 400m and then became Head of Sport for Hungarian TV, combining that career with important positions in Hungarian and international sport. He was a member of the IAAF Council from 1984 until 2001, and was appointed IAAF General Secretary in 1991, working tirelessly and with great imagination for the cause of world athletics. His colleagues on the Council and in our Member Federations, as well as all the members of IAAF staff, will sadly miss his friendly manner, his intelligence and his energy. I also believe that Istvan was extremely courageous in the face of a cruel illness, continuing to work as hard as ever, without complaint, until the end. I would like to send our deepest condolences to his wife Krisztina, his sons Miklos and Marton and his daughters Katalin and Julia.”