The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has asked Hein Verbruggen to retract his complaint to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Ethics Commission. As reported by the Sports Integrity Initiative yesterday, Verbruggen filed a complaint targeting WADA’s Founding President Dick Pound and its current Director General David Howman, as well as the US Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart and its General Counsel Bill Bock.

‘Sir Craig Reedie [pictured], the President of WADA, is astonished by the complaint made by Hein Verbruggen to the IOC Ethics Commission, and made public, in respect to WADA’s former President and current IOC Representative on WADA’s Foundation Board, Dick Pound’, read a WADA statement. ‘The allegations in the complaint have no merit, are outrageous in their content and obviously defamatory. Reedie calls upon Mr. Verbruggen to publicly retract his complaint immediately. Reedie also suggests to the IOC Ethics Commission that it dismiss his complaint as being totally without merit forthwith; and, consider conducting its own investigation into the malicious conduct of Mr. Verbruggen in relation to a member of the IOC.’