Who Is Richard McLaren? Lia Thomas Case Jury Who Proved Russian Doping Scandal

Lia Thomas is not going to the Paris Olympics. After the recent verdict came out, Thomas will now be prohibited from competing in the female category. Initially, the World Aquatics decided to ban transgender athletes from taking part as females. However, the US swimmer was not pleased and challenged the ruling at the Sports Court in Switzerland in 2022. She demanded the rules to be overturned and labeled them as, “invalid, unlawful and discriminatory.” 

Unfortunately, Lia Thomas’ plea was denied as the court did not find satisfactory grounds to overturn the decision. They agreed to the fact that any athlete who has gone through puberty as a male will have significant advantages compared to a female. Thus, to safeguard the rights of women’s sports, the CAS let the World Aquatics persist with their ruling. While there were a total of 3 jury members in the case, chief among them was Richard McLaren. And while McLaren is famous for exposing the Russians’ doping scandal in Sochi, there’s more to know about this high-profile jury member. 

Richard McLaren: A lawyer in shining armor

Born in 1945, in Toronto, Richard McLaren saw the aftermath of World War II closely. Having interacted with a host of people from different nationalities shaped his understanding significantly. As he grew up, McLaren became interested in international law as he completed his degree at Western University. Currently serving as a law professor at the same institution, Richard McLaren’s CV has several shining accolades. 

Apart from judging Lia Thomas’ case, McLaren has also investigated wrongdoings in US baseball and the athletic circuit. But one of his major works includes the exposing of the Russian athletes’ doping scandal. In 2016, the WADA commissioned a report released by Richard McLaren that shocked the entire world. The report proved the evidence of more than 1000 Russian athletes using PEDs, which were backed by the state in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. 

As a result, the IAAF banned Russia from all competitions, along with the 2016 Olympics. McLaren’s report also meant that several Russian weightlifters were prohibited from taking part in the Rio Olympics. And while he makes such highly sensitive decisions, there is always a risk factor lurking. 

Richard McLaren on potential risks and safety 

In a 2021 interview with The Times Higher Education, McLaren was asked about the potential risk element involved. He agreed and stated that such high-profile and sensitive verdicts could often lead to misdirected rage and acts. And thus, one needs to be immensely cautious. Reflecting on how they dealt with the Russian case, McLaren stated, “We were definitely careful about where we went and what we were doing, and our communications are always encrypted – we know there is some risk to what we do, but it is important that people know the things we find.”

However, McLaren also expressed his gratitude towards his team and went on to express his pride towards the work he has done. He said, “I’m fortunate to have the skills and the team to discover things, and people know I will report what I find without covering anything up or whitewashing.”

Thus, after overseeing several big-shot cases, his latest verdict of Lia Thomas might sadden some fans. But Richard McLaren is sure about one thing- he will never let wrongdoing prevail in the sport at whatever cost it might demand.