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.
"We would also like to see more research carried out on the use of artificial intelligence to help cross-reference data and doping patterns."
Reedie said that process had already begun, referring to Thursday's announcement that WADA and the Quebec government-linked research fund would each contribute $200,000 a year for the next five years toward anti-doping scientific research.
Reedie acknowledged that recent events such as the Russian doping scandal exposed the true extent of institutionalized doping and highlighted the need for WADA to continue expanding its mandate to target the larger doping network.
He said the agency continues to work with schools, pharmaceutical companies, law enforcement and researchers, and has already changed its rules to better recognize that doping generally involves a larger network that goes far beyond the athlete.
Reedie said WADA is also seeking protection from lawsuits brought against it by those it exposes, including through a private member's bill that was presented in Quebec's legislature by a Liberal party member earlier this month.
The agency announced last fall it would be keeping its headquarters in Montreal until at least 2031, after earlier suggesting it was considering a move from Quebec's biggest city.
But six months after November's announcement, Reedie said a final agreement is still not in place.
He said officials are still ironing out minor details and he expects the deal to be finalized within weeks.
Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press
