Reedie led the World Anti-Doping Agency as president when Russia was found guilty of state-sponsored doping across most winter and summer sports, including at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Under his leadership, Wada recommended that Russia be banned from the 2016 Rio Games, but the International Olympic Committee ultimately rejected this call. Reedie also served as vice-president of the IOC during part of his Wada tenure.
His sports career began as a badminton competitor who represented Great Britain in the 1960s. He later led the campaign for badminton's Olympic inclusion starting at Barcelona 1992, began his administration with the Scottish Badminton Union, and was elected International Badminton Federation president in 1981. Tributes have poured in from prominent sports figures.
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.
Sebastian Coe, the World Athletics president, described Reedie as his mentor, wise counsel, passionate advisor, and great friend, and said that without his leadership of the British Olympic Association, London might never have won the right to host the 2012 Games. Coe also portrayed him as a sportsman at heart with the mind of a politician, equal parts opinionated, wise, canny, and loyal. Dame Katherine Grainger, the current BOA chair, praised Reedie's fight against doping and his support for the Olympic movement and its competitors.
She noted that anyone in Olympic sport likely knew him and was fortunate for it, and that he always offered encouragement and wise counsel to both IOC members and BOA staff. She added that few knew the Olympic movement better or served it with such distinction, and he fought hard for Olympic sport and even harder for clean sport. Grainger also mentioned that Reedie awarded her some of her Olympic medals.
Whether he was rubbing shoulders with the higher echelons of the IOC membership, or making his way around the British Olympic Association’s offices to chat with staff members, he was never short of a word of encouragement, or some gentle wise counsel.
The exact date, cause, and location of his death have not been specified.
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.
Craig awarded me some of my Olympic medals, so I had th