By Duncan Mackay at the Radisson Royal Hotel in Moscow

Sir Craig Reedie London 2012August 9 - Britain's Sir Craig Reedie is set to become the next President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today voted to put him forward to replace Australia's John Fahey.


The IOC's ruling Executive Board took the decision to endorse Sir Craig at its meeting in the Russian capital here today. 

The 72-year-old Scot was chosen ahead of America's Edwin Moses, the 1976 and 1984 Olympic 400 metres hurdles champion and now head of the United States Anti Doping Agency, and France's Patrick Schamasch, the former medical director of the IOC.

Sir Craig, vice-president of the IOC, will now be put up for formal election at the World Conference on Doping in Sport, which is due to take place in Johannesburg from November 12 until 15.

He will be the only candidate and will take up his position in January 2014.

Sir Craig will replace Fahey, who has led WADA, the independent agency set-up to coordinate the fight against doping, since 2005 after replacing Canada's Dick Pound.

Fahey, the former Premier of New South Wales, had been the choice of the Governments, who co-fund WADA with the Olympic Movement.

Under the rotation system it is now the turn of the Olympic Movement to choose a President.

It is the latest recognition of the standing of Sir Craig, the former chairman of the British Olympic Association and President of the International Badminton Federation, within the Olympic Movement.

He is currently head of the Evaluation Commission which has overseen the campaign to host the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, which features Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo.

Sir Craig is also already well acquainted with WADA having served as the chairman of its Finance and Administration Committee since its founding in 1999 and also sat on its Executive and Foundation Boards.

"Having been part of the organisation for 14 years I have a lot of regard for what WADA has achieved and I look forward to being able to help them in the future," said Sir Craig.

"It is daunting, if you look at the last eight weeks of news.

"I have quite a lot of time now to sit and think and try to work out how we move forward."

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