WADA president wants Montreal to become global anti-doping research hub
MONTREAL — The president of the World Anti-Doping Agency says he’d like to see Montreal become a global hub for anti-doping research as the organization looks to expand its scope in the wake of the Russian doping scandal.
Craig Reedie said Friday he would support an anti-doping research chair at one of Montreal’s four universities, as well as the establishment of a high-level think tank on clean sport that would bring together researchers, academics and policy analysts.
In particular, he said the agency is hoping to capitalize on the city’s expertise in the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence to explore how it can be used in anti-drug labs.
“As part of that relationship, more research could be conducted on doping methods and on individual substances that are, or could be, used by athletes to gain an illegal advantage,” he said in a speech to the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations.