On the first day of his organization's conference, WADA president John Fahey said the most important aspect of the day was "the overwhelming support" shown for the WADA Code revisions.
The WADA Foundation Board and Executive Board will vote on the revised Code on Friday.
The support, Fahey said, shows that "those who are committed to the fight against doping want a more effective manner to address the issues that are there." Other than what he characterized as one or two "minor" objections to the revisions, Fahey said he didn’t hear any opposition.
The International Skating Union’s chief lawyer was one of the people who spoke out during the "interventions" scheduled for today and tomorrow. She said if the proposed four-year bans for drug cheats is enacted, it runs the risk of being struck down again by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. That, she claims, would "undermine" the authority of WADA. If it remains on the books, she said CAS could appear too aligned with WADA, which could lead to challenges in Switzerland where the court is based.
"I don’t agree with the intervention," Fahey said at the press conference but he "respects any sporting body" that wishes to speak in opposition. He said an "overwhelming majority" of athletes called for the ban.
Fahey said he also met with Brian Cookson, the new president of the UCI, the international cycling federation. The sport has come under fire for a perceived lack of will to tackle rampant doping in the sport under previous administrations. Cookson said he would vow to reform the sport if elected.
Fahey acknowledged the difficulties saying the two organizations had some "rocky terms" in the past but they are moving forward.
"We had a very cordial and constructive discussion," Fahey said. "There is a great deal of goodwill with UCI and WADA."
He declined to go into specifics until the joint communiqué with the two organizations is released.
The Conference continues until Friday. Interjections continue on Thursday, this time from governments.
Written by Ed Hula III.
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