(ATR) World Anti-Doping Agency President Craig Reedie says the case is closed on allegations that WADA Athletes Committee chair Beckie Scott was the victim of bullying during a September 2018 Executive Committee meeting.
An independent report by a U.S. law firm says there is no evidence that Scott was subject to bullying behavior at the meeting in the Seychelles. The executive committee conditionally lifted the three year suspension of the Russia Anti Doping Agency at the meeting, a move opposed by Scott.
She complained in a letter to WADA President Craig Reedie that she was subject to derisive comments and gestures directed at her by two ExCo members, Francesco Ricci Bitti and the late Patrick Baumann.
But the 133-page report by the Covington law firm says it could not find evidence to back Scott’s charges. Attorneys from the firm reported to the WADA Foundation Board meeting in Montreal Thursday. They said a review of the audio recording of the meeting along with interviews with witnesses failed to substantiate Scott’s complaint. Also lacking, they noted, was the perspective of Scott, who declined to be interviewed for the report.
Scott remained silent in Thursday’s Foundation Board meeting as Reedie solicited comments on the findings of the inquiry.
Others spoke instead, largely expressing regret over the controversy and hope that WADA will move forward.
IOC vice president and IOC Medical Commission chair Ugur Erdener observed the incident does reveal what he called "broken dialogue" on the part of WADA leaders. He rued the $1 million spent by WADA for the inquiry, money he believes would have been spent better on anti-doping research.
Marcos Diaz, the public authorities representative from the Americas said he regretted that an internal dispute had grown into a legal matter. Diaz, vice minister of sport for Dominican Republic, said he looked forward to moving on. Diaz was defeated this week in a two-man race to win the nomination to become next WADA president. Polish Olympian and minister of sport Witold Banka was the winner. He’ll take over from Reedie Jan. 1, 2020.
WADA vice president Linda Helleland says the report suffers from Scott’s refusal to speak to investigators. Still, the Norwegian government official termed harassment "unacceptable". Helleland, who had sought the WADA presidential nomination, said she welcomed working with Banka to change the culture of WADA. Her comments would seem to signal her acceptance of Banka as the nominee for WADA president, ruling out an alternative candidacy.
Helleland says she was concerned about the future and how to heal the rift the controversy has caused between athletes and WADA.
Speaking at his first meeting as a member of the WADA board, Ingmar De Vos, IOC member and president of the International Equestrian Federation urged his colleagues to move on.
In comments to Around the Rings, Rob Koehler, the head of Global Athlete, an advocacy group and a former executive at WADA, called the inquiry a "whitewash". He claims that this episode will discourage athletes from expressing dissent about WADA in the future. Koehler says Scott deserves an apology from WADA.
A statement later in the day from Global Athlete vividly framed the group's take on the findings of the report, charging that "WADA has driven a coach and horses through athletes rights".
Reedie says the WADA Executive Committee will review recommendations made in the Covington report when it meets next in Tokyo in September. The report says WADA should work on improving communications among board members and the Executive Committee.
Reported in Montreal by Ed Hula.
Recent Articles
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
