1984 Summer Olympics opening ceremony Antwerp flag was then present to Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley as Bradley was not present at the closing ceremonies of the 1980 Moscow games. Speeches are made by LAOOC President Peter Ueberroth and IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch. The first time a sitting US president officially opened the games in person. President Ronald Reagan declared the competition officially open. The Olympic Flag entered the stadium. The Olympic Hymn is played with no words. Homing Pigeons were released. The same cauldron was used as in the 1932 Summer Games. The orchestra played "The Olympian" composed and conducted by Philip Glass.
President of the International Olympic Committee post to become Honorary President. The "Comte" led the IOC until his death in 1942, when he was succeeded by his Vice-President Sigfrid Edström. When IOC president Henri de Baillet-Latour died in 1942, Swedish industrialist Sigfrid Edström took over as the acting president until the end of World War II, when he was formally elected IOC President. He played an important role in reviving the Olympic Movement after the war. In 1931, Edström was involved in the controversial decision to ban legendary Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi from competing at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, as the IOC considered