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Associated Press
you can't make it up

WADA chief has framed photo of him shaking hands with Vladimir Putin in his house

The Financial Times paid a visit to his Glasgow home and certainly got more than they asked for.

IT SEEMED LIKE a pretty innocuous request.

The Financial Times wanted to pop around to the Glasgow home of the president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), get a guided tour and take a few snaps for an online colour piece.

So, Craig Reedie agreed.

Now, as much as WADA had urged the International Olympic Committee to deliver a blanket ban to the Russia team for Rio 2016, they did so only after a number of different media exposes.

In fact, in 2015, it was alleged that Reedie – himself an IOC member – had sent a ‘reassuring’ email to Russia’s sports minister in light of a damning investigative TV piece by German station ARD that alleged widespread doping in the country.

That story featured contributions from a Russian whistleblower who had first approached WADA with information but was ignored.

Speaking to the FT, Reedie distanced himself from any wrongdoing by saying:

That was before my time. Also, at that time we did not have the power to conduct that kind of investigation.”

But at such a sensitive time for WADA, the IOC and other related organisations, Reedie is now responsible for a major PR gaffe.

As the photographer went around the house collecting various images, he came across a gallery of framed images on a wall.

Sochi Olympics Closing Ceremony David Goldman David Goldman

The photos showed Reedie in conversation with various international political figures.

One appears to be signed.

It shows a beaming Reedie shaking hands with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

You just couldn’t make it up.

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