The 70-year-old Frenchman informed IOC President Thomas Bach of his decision "some months ago".

"I'm stopping because after Sochi, at my age, after spending seven years campaigning for Russia, it's difficult to find something as rewarding and exciting," Killy told L'Equipe.

As an athlete, Killy won three skiing golds - in downhill, giant slalom and slalom - at the Grenoble 1968 Winter Olympics.

He was also a six-time world champion.

Killy was Co-President of the 1992 Albertville Winter Games Organising Committee, and has been a member of the IOC since 1995.

He was IOC Coordination Commission chairman for the Turin 2006 and Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

In that role, he led numerous visits to both cities, visiting competition venues and monitoring preparations.

Thomas Bach (third from left) has said Jean-Claude Killy (second from left) was a great ambassador of the Olympic ideals ©Getty Images



Paying tribute to Killy, President Bach said: "On behalf of the entire Olympic Movement I would like to express our sincere thanks and great appreciation for Jean-Claude's outstanding achievements throughout his Olympic career.

"Having already been a sporting legend as an athlete, he later dedicated himself to the IOC, its values and ideals - also with great success.

"In this respect, I could mention many of his accomplishments, but I know that he himself would consider his unique contribution to the fantastic success of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games as his greatest achievement.

"Jean-Claude was a great ambassador of the Olympic ideals and I thank him for his many years of excellent service to the Olympic Movement."

After the final Commission visit to Sochi in September Killy said: "To see how far the local organisers have come over the last six years is quite simply remarkable." 

Asked in the interview with L'Equipe if he felt his image had been damaged by his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said: "It does not matter much.

"I spent seven years working in a direct relationship with a head of state running a country of 145 million inhabitants.

"I'm probably one of those who know him best.

"I'm convinced that Putin is a good man."