Book Description

“Without his experience and wisdom, our bid would never have succeeded.” TONY BLAIR “Craig Reedie was a constant source of wisdom and advice throughout the extraordinarily complex business of delivering the Games.” SEBASTIAN COE • This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 2012 London Olympic Games • This book tells the story of how it happened - by the man at the very centre • Sir Craig Reedie provides a unique insight into the world behind world sports 27 July 2022 marks the tenth anniversary of the London 2012 Olympic Games. There is no better time to hear the full inside story: from the long and uncertain build-up to the 2005 London bid, to the phenomenal delivery of the Games themselves in July 2012, eruditely told by the man who masterminded it: Sir Craig Reedie. Delivering London’s Olympic Dream: A Long Life in Sport gives a fascinating insight not just into the Olympics but also provides reflections, humorously told, of Sir Craig’s life and how politics, business, and ambition—both personal and national—are inextricably connected in World Sports. Reedie—a former Badminton Doubles Champion—was instrumental in calling out and sanctioning the 2016 Russian doping scandal during his tenure as president of the World Anti-Doping Agency. He was of the view that the 2-year ban (reduced from 4 years) from competition was too lenient. As president of the International Badminton Federation, Reedie was responsible for elevating Badminton to an Olympic sport in 1985. In 1992 Reedie became chairman of the British Olympic Association. He joined the International Olympic Committee in 1994 and became President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2013.