Dick Pound

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"Principal Richard Pound" is the stage name of wrestler John Cozman.

Richard W. Pound, OC (born March 22, 1942) is the chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) based in Montreal. He is a former vice-president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was a one-time candidate for the presidency of that organization.

Known as "Dick," he was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada and was a swimming competitor at the 1960 Summer Olympics. He finished sixth in the 100 meter freestyle and was also on Canada's fourth place relay team. He would later win a number of medals at the 1962 Commonwealth Games. Retiring from swimming, he accepted a role with the Canadian Olympic Committee and eventually became its president.

In 1978 he was elected to the International Olympic Committee and was put in charge of negotiating television and sponsorship deals. Pound revolutionized the Olympic movement using such deals to transform the IOC into a multi-billion dollar enterprise. At the same time he became known as an outspoken critic of corruption within the IOC under the leadership of Juan Antonio Samaranch. His criticisms were given a wide airing after the scandals surrounding the Salt Lake City Olympics broke, and he was then appointed head of the inquiry into the corruption. He also campaigned strongly for stronger drug testing.

In 1992 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and in 1993 was made an Officer of the National Order of Quebec.

Pound has also served as Chancellor of McGill University since July 1, 1999 and is a partner in the law firm of Stikeman Elliott LLP in Montreal. He practises tax law. He is also the author of several books on legal history. He edits "Pound's Tax Case Notes", a review of tax-law court cases for lawyers. He did much of the reading of cases and the writing of the notes on international airplane flights to and from International Olympic Committee functions.

With the retirement of Samaranch in 2001 he ran for president of the IOC, but the voters chose the far less outspoken Belgian Jacques Rogge. Pound finished third behind South Korean Kim Un-Yong, who was one of those found to have participated in the Salt Lake City scandals, and who was later prosecuted by the South Korean government.

Pound scaled back his involvement with the IOC and became head of WADA. In that role he has overseen an unprecedented toughening of the drug-testing regimen. Pound has been an especially harsh critic of the Americans, arguing that there is widespread doping, especially amongst their track and field team. He has also worked to expand WADA beyond the Olympics, calling on the major sports leagues to agree to WADA scrutiny. His allegations of widespread doping in professional bicycle racing have at times brought WADA into fierce public conflict with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

In November 2005 Pound commented about the National Hockey League and said that, "You wouldn't be far wrong if you said a third of hockey players are gaining some pharmaceutical assistance."^[1] The basis for his allegations remain largely unknown, and were strongly denied by both the NHL and NHLPA. Since his comments were made, some NHL players have tested positive for banned substances, including Bryan Berard, Jose Theodore, and 2 of 250 players involved in Olympic testing.fr:Dick Pound