WADA town: Madrid 2007

It's only been eight days since WADAwatch returned from an impressive visit to a lovely city, finding new friends and enjoying the world's attention being focussed on the transition between the Pound presidency and the new Fahey era, slated to begin on 1 January, 2008.

In Charles Pelkey's article from VeloNews (filed 17 November, 2007; however it discusses the events occurring on the 18th?), is published a WADAwatch photo. If you click on the photo within the VeloNews site, you'd be surprised to know that the Arabic news bureau Al Jazeera was covering this event as well: their correspondent is holding the yellow-foam microphone...

Here's an excerpt from Pelkey's article:

WADA elects Australia's Fahey to succeed Pound

"We express our belief that it is in WADA's strong interest to have a chair whose designation and election is decided by consensus," Bergner told the meeting. "We regret that the internal process among public authorities for the designation of a candidate was ruled by procedures which did not have the prior agreement and the consensus of all public authorities."

But Pound rejected the proposal, likening it to a 400-meter running race in which one of the competitors pulls a hamstring.

"You can't just ask to start the race over at that point," Pound said.

Fahey said he would continue to live in Australia and work closely with Ljungquist, who resides in Sweden, and the staff at WADA's Montreal headquarters.

As we wind down on Pound's era, and commence to turn a new page, a John Fahey-driven movement should press for the re-invigoration and substantial improvement of WADA's achievement of its Fundamental Rationale: in an amelioration of "Ethics, fair play and honesty", as well as "Respect for rules and laws"...

Ample incidents of WADA CODE violations appear constantly in the news; they are never discussed, or remain un-discovered. The word 'TABOO' comes to mind, as far as the WADAwatch concept of "equal justice under WADA law" has been implemented.

This column will produce an 'Open Letter' to new WADA president Fahey, Secretary General Howman, and Director of the Standards and Harmonization Committee, in the very soon future. Its purpose is to again put WADA on notice, as well as their Signatories that represent political and IOC member entities, that there is a vast failure in the linking of laboratory responsibilities to the CODE and ISL.

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