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But it would be folly to believe that WADA could strike a blow against some of the most powerful figures in sport and politics, without those figures striking back. They have done so, and they will continue to pummel WADA until it perishes or prevails over them.

The outcome will hinge on whether WADA will be able to rely upon the support of governments, athletes and the IOC.

I take some comfort in the fact that the IOC has insisted that it supports WADA’s independence and capacity to prosecute its mandate. However, I must confess that is not my impression, based on harsh public statements this summer by IOC officials.

If there is any justice to this impression, then I should offer the IOC some simple advice: not everyone who stands up to you is your enemy, just as not everyone who flatters you is your friend.

Ultimately, WADA and the IOC will be one another’s salvation, or undoing. The only people who would prosper from a confrontation would be those who trade upon doping in sport.

Akaash Maharaj is CEO of the Ottawa-based Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC). He was a triple gold medallist for Canada at the International Championships of Equestrian Skill-at-Arms.