(ATR) U.S. Olympic champion hurdler Edwin Moses is to stand against Britain’s Craig Reedie and former IOC medical and scientific director Patrick Schamasch for the presidency of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
The IOC tells Around the Rings that the two-time gold medalist in the 400m hurdles had last week expressed his interest in replacing John Fahey as head of WADA. Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper reported that the 1976 and 1984 Olympic champion would challenge Reedie for the job.
Reedie and Schamasch told ATR in May that they would be candidates for the WADA post.
WADA's presidency – a volunteer position – alternates between the sports world and governments, which help fund the agency’s work. After the reign of Fahey, a former federal minister for finance in Australia who took up the WADA presidency in 2007, it is the turn of the IOC to make its pick.
The IOC also confirmed for the first time the date of its nomination for the WADA presidency. It will choose between Moses, Reedie and Schamasch at next week’s executive board meeting in Moscow, the day before the IAAF world championships get underway.
"The IOC EB is scheduled to put forth one candidate during their meetingon 9 August," IOC spokesman Andrew Mitchell told ATR.
Moses, 57, is a strong candidate for the WADA job thanks to his promotion of "drug-free" sports, both during his career as an athlete and since his retirement. He was part of the team who pioneered the development, administration and implementation of stringent in-competition and out-of-competition random drug testing programs in the 1980s and 1990s.
But Reedie’s WADA experience appears to make him favorite to step into Fahey’s shoes when the Australian steps down later this year.
The 72-year-old IOC vice president has served on WADA’s Foundation Board and Executive Committee since the organization’s formation in 1999. He currently serves as chairman of WADA’s finance and administration committee.
Speaking to ATR at SportAccord, the former chairman of the British Olympic Association claimed he was well-equipped to take the helm of WADA.
The Scotsman said he would call on the experience and knowledge he had gathered in various roles at WADA over 14 years, as well as his involvement with the World Badminton Federation over many years.
"I listen very carefully to the observations of the IFs, much of which should be implemented. I know how to do this," he told ATR.
The new WADA president will be ratified at the fourth World Conference on Doping in Sport in Johannesburg Nov. 12-15. During the meeting, a revised version of the WADA Code will be endorsed by WADA’s Foundation Board.
Reported by Mark Bisson
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