Carrard, who began working with the IOC as a legal advisor in 1979 before becoming director general 10 years later and serving in eh role until 2003, died aged 83.

Carrard's 14 years in that position included seven Olympic Games, and he presided over the bribery scandal concerning Salt Lake City being awarded the 2002 Winter Games and the clean-up of Olympic governance that followed.

The Olympic House in Lausanne has flown the Olympic flag at half-mast, and Bach mourned the loss of Carrard.

"François Carrard was a brilliant man with immense analytic skills and a very wide horizon," the IOC President said.

"President [Juan Antonio] Samaranch and the entire Olympic Movement could always rely on his invaluable advice.

"He was not only a man of law and sport, but also a great man of culture.

"I got to know François Carrard in my early days as an IOC member.

"He was always a great guide and trustful advisor, and became a personal friend.

"This is why I am so grateful that the entire Olympic Movement and I could count on him until his very last days."

Carrard's tenure as IOC director general also included the creation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 1999 and the Swiss official played a role in the introduction of the World Anti-Doping Code.

The first edition of the World Anti-Doping Code came into force in 2004.

WADA President Witold Bańka claimed today that "WADA would not have been set up in the first place, let alone enjoy the success it has had, without his [Carrard] strong commitment and vision".

Bańka added: "His support for the Agency and for anti-doping in general never wavered throughout his long and successful career.

"His passion for sport, coupled with a gift for strategic thinking, made him an effective administrator and inspirational leader."

More recently, Carrard served as a member of the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation (GEF) from 2019 until his death.

The body was established by the International Gymnastics Federation after safeguarding controversies including the Larry Nassar scandal.

GEF President Micheline Calmy-Rey described Carrard as "a friend and invaluable member of our Council".

Carrard also advised the International Swimming Federation (FINA), serving as chair of its Reform Committee last year which recommended significant governance changes approved at an Extraordinary General Congress in December.

"For more than 30 years, FINA Presidents and Secretaries General were fortunate enough to call on Maître Carrard's intellect and constant readiness to help," FINA said.

"Our federation is immeasurably stronger for his wisdom and he was the architect of many of FINA’s improvements."

The lawyer was also well-known for chairing the 2016 FIFA Reform Committee. 

The panel's recommendations produced a series of adopted reforms at football's global governing body, after the corruption scandal which led to the departure of senior officials including President Sepp Blatter.