Edwin Moses, a double Olympic champion and world record holder of 400 m obstacles, changed success on the track after the end of his athletic career in a major fight against doping.
He was exceptional. Since 1977 he has not recognized the defeat for ten years – he won in 122 races in a row, which is a virtually unrivaled record. Legendary American obstacle Edwin Moses celebrates his seventieth birthday today. However, its meaning goes far beyond athletic ovals.
Already at the age of 21, he finished for gold in the world record at the Montreal Olympics. In Los Angeles 1984 he repeated the triumph, although he could not race at Moscow games in 1980 because of the boycott. He added bronze in 1988 and closed his Olympic balance with two gold and one bronze.
But after his sports career, his key role has just begun. At the age of 80 he decided to fight doping – he used his knowledge of physics, chemistry and medicine and initiated the first system of accidental testing outside the competition. It became the basis of future anti -doping structures.
Within the US Olympic Committee, he led the Committees for Testing, Research and Education and consistently promoted transparency – at a time when these efforts were not too welcome among athletes. He himself admitted that he was initially skeptical: “It was a dark period of sport, but I was one of the few who spoke,” The Guardian told the British newspaper.
In 1999 he stood at the birth of the World Anti -Doping Agency (WADA), where he later led the Educational Committee. In the US, he worked as chairman of the National Agency Usada and, without hesitation, was the biggest scandals – including the case of cyclist Lanka Armstrong.
Moses’s influence exceeded the borders of the United States. He was one of the main personalities of the Laureus Sports Academy, founded in 2000.
This organization supports Sport as a tool for positive social changes. Under his leadership, hundreds of projects have been created within the “Laureus Sport For Good” program, which help communities around the world.
He also added diplomatic skills. As a member of the Athletic Commission of the International Olympic Committee and other international bodies, he used his respect and position to promote ethics, transparency and human rights in sport.
“Contemporary sport needs a real change,” Guardian told reporters. “Recommendations, clear rules and education – that’s the way.”
His work was also behind a hard response to the Russian doping scandal and contributed to the recognition that international supervision was necessary, not just national control.
Even Moses’s personal life was not without heavy trials. In 2017 he underwent a severe traumatic brain injury that almost cost him life. This was followed by demanding rehabilitation – he learned to walk again.
Yet he continued – mentally and physically strong, determined and persistent. Document * Moses – 13 steps * captures this return with respect for his life struggle and victory.
Moses was not just the fastest obstacle to his time. He became an architect of ethical sport. His legacy is not only measured by medals, but also by rules, educational systems, international cooperation and inspiration, which he transmits to future generations.
The man who defeated the world in the run was able to stand up to the darkest aspects of sports. And won.
