From Inside the Games
Sir Craig Reedie hit back at the stinging criticism the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has received as he told United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) chief executive Travis Tygart to address issues in his own country instead of attacking the global watchdog.
The WADA President issued a lengthy retort to Tygart at a media symposium here today in response to comments made by the USADA official during an emergency anti-doping summit at the White House in Washington D.C yesterday.
Tygart suggested Sir Craig should resign from either the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or WADA as he reiterated his claims the Scot has a conflict of interest.
He also claimed the summit, organised by USADA and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, was a “tipping point” for WADA following the outcry from athletes at the decision to lift the Russian suspension.
Tygart, a frequent critic of WADA throughout the doping scandal, accused the organisation of attacking athletes who have spoken out and called for change at the global anti-doping body, claiming the responses from the leadership were unacceptable.
In response, Sir Craig urged Tygart to get major American sports leagues and events in the country compliant with the WADA Code as this would “be a greater contribution to clean sport in the world than continually complaining about what WADA does”.
The WADA President added he believed Tygart’s views were symptomatic of the view in the US that they can solve everybody’s problems.
“We have had comment, some critical some of it hostile, from Travis for two-and-a-half, three years now,” Sir Craig said.
“We live in a free society, he is entitled to say what he says.
“In a very complex political situation worldwide at the moment, it seems to me that this follows a kind of formula that the only solution to anybody’s problems are the solutions that come from the United States.
“I don’t believe that’s accurate, or correct.
“I would like to think that at some future date, he might address USADA’s efforts to looking at the large area of American sport which is not code-compliant and events which aren’t code-compliant.
“And I think that would be a greater contribution to clean sport in the world than continually complaining about what WADA does.”
