John Fahey has today been re-elected to the position of president of the World Anti Doping Agency and will serve a second three year term, running until the end of 2013.
Vice-president Professor Arne Ljungqvist was also re-endorsed to his position and will remain on board for the same duration of time. Both individuals were originally elected at WADA’s third World Conference on Doping in Sport in November 2007 in Madrid, Spain, beginning their volunteer roles on January 1, 2008.
“I am very grateful to the Foundation Board Members for the trust they have placed in me and I am deeply committed to further advancing the global fight against doping in sport in the coming years,” said Fahey, a former politician and Premier of New South Wales.
WADA rules state that president and vice-president positions should alternate between the Olympic movement and world governments; Fahey represents governments, while Ljungqvist represents the sporting movement. Under those rules, each position can be occupied by a maximum of two three-year terms.
Fahey is now halfway through his overall six year work as president. He said that he is satisfied with how things have gone thus far. “Over the past three years, this fight has continued to make significant strides under WADA’s guidance and coordination. As the first government representative to serve at the helm of WADA, I will continue to focus much attention on maximizing the role of governments for enhanced cooperation and sharing of information between governments and sport authorities.
“High-profile doping cases and investigations underscore the fact that no sport and no country are immune to the threat of doping, as well as the critical need for strong sport-government collaborative efforts in confronting doping.”
He underlined that education and youth activities played an important part in the fight against doping: “Doping in sport is a public health issue. Together, we need to continue to work hard to instil an indelible mindset on the youth that will never allow them to tolerate health- and life-destroying drugs in their sport.”
Ljungqvist reaffirmed that the agency had the IOC’s full backing. “The Olympic Movement has always supported WADA and will continue to do so in the future. WADA has come a long way since its inception eleven years ago. I am confident that, together, the sport movement and governments will achieve further success in providing a platform to clean athletes for the pursuit of their objectives.”
Fahey succeeded the former President of WADA Dick Pound when the Canadian finished his term at the helm of the agency.