Sir Craig Reedie, the former chair of the British Olympic Association (BOA) and president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), has died at the age of 84.
Reedie chaired the BOA between 1992 and 2005, before going on to become the third president of Wada, serving from 2014 to 2019.
As BOA chair he was part of London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and went on to serve as a director of the organising committee for the two events.
He was also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board between 2009 and 2012 and its vice president between 2012-2016.
“If you have worked in Olympic sport, then it’s highly likely that you would have known Sir Craig Reedie. How lucky we all were,” said Dame Katherine Grainger, the current chair of the BOA.
“Few knew the Olympic movement better and fewer still served it with such distinction. His dedicated service to the BOA, to the IOC and to Wada is notable.
“He always fought hard for Olympic sport, and fought harder still for clean sport. In doing so he saw the good and, inevitably, the bad of our sporting system.
“It was the measure of Craig that it never diminished his love of sport and the Olympic movement in particular.”
In his own statement, Lord Sebastian Coe, the chair of the London 2012 organising committee, said Reedie was “the epitome of a gentleman”.
“Craig was my mentor, wise counsel, passionate advisor, and great friend. He was the distinguished elder statesman with a reservoir of Olympic knowledge and experience which he shared willingly and to great effect,” Coe added.
“Without Craig and his leadership of the British Olympic Association, we may never have won the right to host London 2012.
“Craig was a sportsman at heart, but he had the mind and tenacity of a politician. He was equal parts opinionated, wise, canny and, most of all, loyal to those who legitimately wanted to serve sport.”
Reedie was an international badminton player, representing Great Britain in the 1960s, and subsequently led the Scottish Badminton Union.
In 1981, he was elected International Badminton Federation president, where he led the successful campaign to include badminton at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
He presided over Wada during the revelation of state-sponsored doping by Russia, leading to the country’s athletes being banned from competing under their national flag.
“Sir Craig dedicated his whole life to the service of sport and the Olympic Movement,” said IOC president Kirsty Coventry.
“He was a steadfast guardian of integrity, guiding the global sporting community through some of its most challenging moments with dignity and resolve.
“His contribution to the Olympic Games, to clean sport and to the development of athletes worldwide will endure for generations to come.”
Reedie was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1999, knighted as a Knight Bachelor in 2006, and was later elevated to Knight Grand Cross (GBE) in 2018.
