Pound loses bid to head Court of Arbitration

Former World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound failed on Thursday in his bid to become president of the highest appeals body in international sports.

Pound finished second to Italian lawyer Mino Auletta in the election for president of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The Canadian has drawn fire for his outspoken style, and the International Cycling Union announced last month that it was suing him over comments he made about doping in the sport.

Pound declined to comment on the court case on Thursday or say whether it might have undermined his CAS candidacy.

He said he would now focus on his role as a senior member of the International Olympic Committee and of Wada's foundation board.

"I have never had any trouble filling my time," Pound said by telephone after the vote in Monaco.

He will also remain on the governing board of CAS.

"There are a ton of things going on and a ton of issues needing to be resolved," Pound said, adding that it is important for CAS to have among its members people familiar with sports, not just lawyers.

Pound said he would consider running again for the CAS presidency in 2010 if nominated.

"The main thing is to make sure that the greater sports community regards CAS as a place where they can have confidence that sports-related disputes will be resolved quickly, expertly and inexpensively," he said.

Auletta had been acting CAS president since the death last year of Senegalese judge Keba Mbaye. The Italian received a majority of the votes at Thursday's meeting and will serve the remaining two years of Mbaye's term.

CAS did not provide a breakdown of the results, but candidates needed the support of at least 10 of the 19 board members present to win.

Auletta, who also defeated Swiss lawyer Robert Briner and Sweden's Gunnar Werner to get the job, will oversee the appointment of the nearly 300 arbitrators who rule on about 200 disputes every year.

Among the most high-profile disputes on CAS's agenda is the appeal of double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius of South Africa, scheduled for April 29-30.

Pistorius is seeking to overturn a ruling by the International Association of Athletics Federations that makes him ineligible to compete at the Beijing Olympics or any other able-bodied competition.

The IAAF says his prosthetic racing limbs give him a clear competitive advantage.

Next month, CAS will also hear the case of Olympic 100-metre champion Justin Gatlin, who is appealing a four-year doping ban. That hearing will he held May 28-29 in New York.