Fahey Re-elected As Wada President

Australian John Fahey has been re-elected as president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for a second and final three-year term.

The 65-year-old – a former Australian Minister of Finance – has been in his present role since January 2008 just like his 79-year-old Swedish deputy, veteran anti-doping campaigner Arne Ljungqvist, who won himself another three-year term as well.

Both were returned unopposed in a vote taken by WADA’s foundation council.

The WADA rules state that the two roles should be filled by a politician and the other by someone from a sporting background – Ljungqvist is President of the International Olympic Committee’s medical commission.

‘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, who had originally replaced Dick Pound as president.

‘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.’

The next election for the top two posts will take place at the fourth global anti-doping conference in Johannesburg in 2013 where the president will come from the sporting world and the vice-president from the political milieu.