Reedie survives criticism to win re-election as WADA president

The 75-year-old Scot was re-elected unopposed by WADA's 38-strong foundation board in Glasgow, despite concerns expressed by a number of Olympic delegates over WADA's call for a blanket ban on all Russian athletes competing at Rio 2016.

Reedie had received the support of the International Olympic Committee early this month, but doubts were raised during this week's annual gathering of the Association of National Olympic Committees in Doha.

Reedie and WADA have been accused of blighting the build-up to the Rio Games by their handling of the doping allegations, in particular in favouring a stronger stance on Russia than the one ultimately adopted by the IOC.

Reedie had told Press Association Sport earlier this week: "It makes no sense to walk away now. The situation needs to be resolved and it will be resolved.

"I took this on expecting to serve two terms. OK, nobody imagined we would be spending two years dealing with Russia, but that is where we are at.

"It might not look like it, but we are making real progress now. I am not walking away."

Reedie may find himself at the centre of more controversy as he embarks on his second term with the difficult task of beginning to bring Russia in from the cold.

The second part of the WADA-sponsored report into alleged doping improprieties by Canadian legal expert Richard McLaren is set to be released in December, and is expected to provide more damning details of Russian cheating.

ANOC president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, one of the most powerful administrators in world sport, gave voice to this embarrassment, telling delegates that reform of the anti-doping system would be impossible without "a neutral chair" of WADA and even suggested the agency should be moved from Montreal to Geneva, closer to the headquarters of most Olympic sports.

Reedie was also heavily criticised by ANOC delegates for the timing of the announcement that WADA was suspending the accreditation of Doha's anti-doping laboratory, which came on the eve of the ANOC general assembly in the city.