Helleland announces she is running for the position as VP of WADA

Today, Anti-Doping Norway was informed that the Norwegian Minister of Culture, Linda Hofstad Helleland, has decided to run for the position as Vice President of WADA.

Helleland announces she is running for the position as vp of

- We are pleased the Minister of Culture has decided to run. WADA and the international anti-doping work are at a crossroad, and we are confident that Hofstad Helleland can contribute to the development of the international anti-doping work and strenghten the protection of the clean athletes, says Chair of Anti-Doping Norway, Valgerd Svarstad Haugland.

The former Vice President of WADA, Makhenkesi Arnold Stofile, passed away in August 2016. That is why the position now is vacant. 50 percent of WADA is financed by the Olympic movement, while the other half is financed by the governments, that is why the positions as President and Vice President shall represent both the IOC and the governments.

The current President, Sir Craig Reedie, is an IOC member, which means the Vice President must be recruited from the governments.

- We believe Linda Hofstad Helleland will represent a valuable contribution to the Board. There are many who believe that international sport needs to be governed in a more modern fashion, which also values gender equality, says Svarstad Haugland.

Hofstad Helleland was appointed Minister of Culture in December 2015 and has strongly engaged in the anti-doping debates in Norway.

The deadline by which a candidate must announce his or her candidacy is on Friday 30.9. By Wednesday next week, Europe must agree on a candidate.

- The considerable number og serious doping revelations and violations in international sports during the last year, have shown that WADA must be supported, strengthened and given the tools necessary to continue to be the world leader in anti-doping work. If elected as the Vice President, I will work actively with WADA, the sports movement and the governments of the world to promote WADA, its work and clean athletes, says Hofstad Helleland in a statement.

Danish Minister of Justice, Brian Mikkelsen, and Valérie Fourneyron from France are the other two European candidates. Hofstad Helleland’s predecessor as Minister of Culture, Thorhild Widvey, is currently the European member of WADA’s Executive Committee.

- I am glad she has announced her candidacy. This strongly confirms Norway's ambition to be a driving force on the international anti-doping arena, says Anti-Doping Norway’s CEO, Anders Solheim.

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