LONDON — Norwegian politician Linda Helleland launched her campaign to become president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Thursday, unveiling a platform built to restore athlete and public confidence in the body.

As a WADA vice-president, Helleland, who has often sided with athletes' groups over current president Craig Reedie, opposed the reinstatement of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) at a heated meeting in the Seychelles in September.

The WADA executive committee earlier this week voted not to re-impose a suspension on RUSADA despite missing a deadline to turn over data. At the meeting, Helleland repeated her call for Russia to be declared non-compliant until all anti-doping data from the Moscow laboratory has been received and verified.

WADA is currently examining the extracted data after Russian authorities relented and allowed entry on Jan. 3.

Helleland has also called for an independent investigation into WADA's handling of the Russian crisis, which has divided the global anti-doping effort. RUSADA was suspended in 2015 after a WADA-commissioned report found evidence of state-sponsored doping in Russian athletics.

"Since the founding of WADA 20 years ago anti-doping has made great strides, however WADA needs to evolve and modernize if it is to prove itself to be fit for the future," Helleland, who served as Norway's Minister of Children and Equality from January 2018 to this month, said in a statement.

"The Russian doping crisis presented the world, and above all WADA, with the gravest sporting scandal this century.

"This is an issue our Clean Sport Movement will be defined by for decades to come, and that is why I am determined to take my vision to re-inspire athletes and sports fans and restore their confidence in clean and fair sport."

The WADA presidency rotates between government representatives and the sports movement.

WADA will vote on a new president at the World Conference on Doping in Sport which will be held from Nov. 5-7 in Katowice, Poland. Britain's Reedie will not be in contention having previously said he would step down when his second term ends.

Meanwhile, National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADO) applauded the WADA on Thursday for getting access to Russian laboratory data but warned that it should not yet be doing a "victory lap".

WADA said last week that after much feet dragging by Russian authorities, it had extracted doping data from a discredited Moscow laboratory, a condition of its controversial decision in September to restore the accreditation of Russia's anti-doping agency (RUSADA).

"While WADA is to be commended for obtaining the data, and RUSADA congratulated for its willing cooperation, it is not cause for celebration," said NADO in a statement.

"It is not yet appropriate to turn the page on the issues, nor should the principals at WADA be doing a ‘victory lap’, rather it is the opening of another chapter in the tragic saga of a state-sponsored doping scheme."

WADA said on Tuesday it would not reimpose a suspension on RUSADA despite Moscow missing a Dec. 31 deadline to hand over the laboratory data. The data collected from the tainted lab will be examined for any sign of tampering, while Russian authorities must ensure that any re-analysis of samples required by WADA is completed — in an accredited laboratory — by June 30.

NADO noted that Russia continues to bid to host international events, such as the 2024 Youth Olympics, which would not be possible if evidence of tampering is found and RUSADA is again declared non-compliant.

"Although WADA and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) would have us believe this is now all behind us, diligence requires otherwise," said NADO.

NADO called for renewed vigilance and compensation, including the recovery from Russia of all costs incurred relating to the doping crisis since RUSADA was suspended in 2015 after a WADA-commissioned report found evidence of state-sponsored doping in Russian Athletics. NADO is also calling for an exhaustive, independent expert review of the authenticity and integrity of all the data retrieved followed by another independent review of the crisis to identify any lessons to prevent a recurrence. — Reuters