The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has elected Sir Craig Reedie as it next President. Reedie will be the third president in the history of the Agency and will be replacing 6 year president, John Fahey. Reedie is a member of WADA’s Executive Committee and Foundation Board, and has also served as Chair of the Organization’s Finance and Administration Committee since 1999. He will begin his term on January 1, 2014. The 72-year-old Scot, a former Chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA) and current Vice President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was elected by the IOC in September as the sporting movement’s preferred candidate for WADA President.
Along with Reedie, WADA elected H.E. Mr. M.A. Stofile as the new Vice President. Stofile will also begin his term on January 1, 2014. The 68-year-old South African, who served on WADA’s Executive Committee and Foundation Board from 2004 – 2010, replaces Arne Ljungqvist who has served as WADA’s Vice President since 2008.
In other news, the Moscow Antidoping Center and its satellite facility in Sochi are pending a six month suspension. WADA listed specific actions that needed to be taken by the Moscow Antidoping Center to avoid the suspension. The possible suspension will go in effect if the following happens.
1. By 1 December 2013 the Moscow Laboratory has failed to engage independent Quality Management experts satisfactory to the WADA Laboratory Expert Group to assist the Moscow Laboratory in drafting, finalizing, implementing and embedding throughout the operations of the Moscow Laboratory a comprehensive Quality Management program that is sufficient to allow everyone to be confident of the accuracy and reliability of results moving forward; and
2. By 1 April 2014 (and allowing within that time-limit for appropriate action and comment by the WADA Laboratory Expert Group those independent Quality Management experts have satisfied this Disciplinary Committee that the Moscow Laboratory has in fact drafted, finalized, implemented and embedded throughout its operations a comprehensive Quality Management program (for which the Moscow Laboratory director will be responsible) that gives the Disciplinary Committee the necessary confidence in the accuracy and reliability of the results reported by the Moscow Laboratory.
While WADA is not the responsible medical authority during the period of the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, WADA strongly suggests that the IOC consider appropriate action (including the appointment of necessary experts) to ensure the complete integrity of all analysis performed by the Moscow Laboratory operating in Moscow and/or in the satellite facility in Sochi.
Budget Increase
For the past two years, the WADA budgets have been frozen, but this week the Foundation Board announced that the agency will be receiving an additional 1% in 2014. In addition, members will meet their travel costs, which will represent an effective budgetary saving of over US$500,000.
WADA plans to use the funding increase to improve continue to fight against doping.
