WADA's Foundation Board meeting is hoping to appoint an Athlete Ombuds soon ©WADA

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have said they are close to revealing the identity of the first Athlete Ombuds, a position they hope will provide a neutral and impartial dispute resolution for athletes.

A total of 140 candidates had applied for the role and WADA Athlete Commission chairman Ben Sandford confirmed that an offer of the position has been made to an unnamed individual.

The post had been approved in November 2021 with a one-year trial.

The recruitment process began in February this year and it had been hoped that an appointment would be made earlier in the year.

WADA Athlete Committee chairman Ben Sandford said today that he hoped to announce the new athlete ombuds in the next few days ©WADA
WADA Athlete Committee chairman Ben Sandford said today that he hoped to announce the new athlete ombuds in the next few days ©WADA

"The selection and interview process has taken far longer than we would have liked," Sandford admitted.

The original applicants had been narrowed to a shortlist of three and the preferred candidate has now been identified.

"I would love to be able to reveal who that person is, but because that person is currently employed, we need to respect their wishes because they need to talk to their employer about taking on this role.

"Hopefully in the next week or so, we will have a response from the person, and we will be able to set this role up."