Sir Craig Reedie, a leading personality in the Olympic community, who led the British Olympic Association for more than ten years and was crucial in hosting the 2012 Games in London, has passed away at 84. Numerous tributes have been shared for Reedie, born in Scotland, who presided over the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) when Russia was convicted of government-backed doping in most winter and summer sports, including the 2014 Sochi event. Amid this controversy, Reedie and WADA suggested barring Russia from the 2016 Rio Olympics, a proposal the International Olympic Committee ultimately declined. Reedie held the position of IOC vice-president during some of his WADA leadership and was a past badminton athlete who spearheaded efforts to add the sport to the Olympics from the 1992 Barcelona edition. Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics and head of the London Games organizing committee where Reedie served on the board, expressed: ‘I am deeply saddened for his family. Craig was my guide, source of wisdom, enthusiastic supporter, and close companion. He was a respected senior figure with extensive Olympic expertise that he generously offered with significant impact. Without Craig’s direction at the British Olympic Association, we might not have secured the 2012 London hosting rights. At his core, Craig was an athlete, but he possessed the intellect and determination of a public servant. He was forthright, insightful, shrewd, and above all, dedicated to those genuinely committed to sports. The model of a true gentleman.’ Reedie competed for Great Britain in badminton during the 1960s before entering sports management, starting with the Scottish Badminton Union. He became president of the International Badminton Federation in 1981, took the BOA chairmanship in 1992, and entered the IOC two years afterward. He was IOC vice-president from 2012 to 2016, coinciding with his WADA presidency. Dame Katherine Grainger, the present
