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Veteran British sports administrator Craig Reedie, former head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and a pivotal figure in London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, has passed away at the age of 84, it was announced on Monday.
“Sir Craig’s passing is a huge loss; he was a true gentleman and a champion of clean sport,” said WADA president Witold Banka. “He was a man of remarkable integrity, and as a sportsman, he always believed in striving for improvement—a principle he carried into his leadership at WADA.”
Reedie had an accomplished sporting background, representing Great Britain as an international badminton player. In 1981, he became president of the International Badminton Federation and successfully campaigned to have badminton included in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
He later served as chairman of the British Olympic Association from 1992 to 2005 and held the position of WADA president from 2014 to 2019. Reedie also served as a vice-president of the International Olympic Committee.
During his tenure at WADA, Reedie faced criticism from athlete groups and national sports bodies over the 2018 decision to lift a three-year suspension on Russian athletes, which had been imposed following the 2014 Sochi Winter Games due to state-sponsored doping.
Despite this controversy, Reedie is remembered for his central role in securing the 2012 Olympics for London, a campaign in which Paris had been considered the frontrunner.
Sebastian Coe, now president of World Athletics and a two-time Olympic 1500m champion, paid tribute to Reedie on X, calling him “my mentor, wise counsel, passionate advisor, and great friend.” Coe added, “Without Craig and his leadership at the British Olympic Association, London may never have won the right to host the 2012 Games.”
