Briton Sir Craig Reedie elected World Anti-Doping Agency President

Sir Craig Reedie has been elected President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), effective 1 January 2014.

Reedie was a member of the Project Board responsible for the establishment of UK Anti-Doping and subsequently has acted as Special Advisor to UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) since the organisation was founded in December 2009 and will now step down from this role. He is also Vice President of the International Olympic Committee, which he has been a member of since 1994, and was Chair of the British Olympic Association (BOA) from 1992 – 2005.

He will succeed John Fahey, who has stood as WADA President for the last six years, having been voted in by WADA’s Foundation Board on the final day of the fourth World Conference on Doping in Sport in Johannesburg. The Foundation Board is composed in equal parts of representatives from the Olympic Movement and from governments. There are currently 36 WADA Foundation Board members, plus a President and a Vice President.

South African Politician, the Reverend Makhenkesi Stofile, who acted as Minister for Sport and Recreation from 2004 – 2010, was voted Vice President during the same meeting.

UKAD Chief Executive Andy Parkinson said: “Sir Craig is rightly held in very high regard within the sporting movement and around the table of WADA. The challenge for him over the next few years is to bring the public and sporting authorities closer together, and to lead the evolution and strengthening of compliance with the new Code.

Craig will take over from the excellent work John has done over the past six years, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his commitment to tackling the problem of doping head on. It is important to recognise the positive impact both he and the changes he has overseen have had on sport and clean athletes.”

Friday, 15 November 2013