Quick Facts
Biography
Arne Ljungqvist (born 23 April 1931) is a Swedish medical researcher, sports personality and retired high jumper. Ljungqvist is an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), chairman of IOC's Medical Commission, and vice chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Biography
In his youth, Arne Ljungqvist competed in the high jump, javelin throw and decathlon. In 1952 he won the national high jump title and finished 15th at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He then left competitive sports to complete his medical training.
Academic career
After his medical studies, Ljungqvist was appointed professor, 1972–1983, and has made medical research in the fields of renal and cardiovascular diseases and, later, oncology at the Karolinska Institute. In the last years of his academic career, he was rector of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences in Stockholm from 1992 to 1996, an institution which has close collaboration with the Karolinska Institute in the field of sports medicine. He ended his professional career as President of the Swedish Cancer Society, 1992–2001.
Sports official
In the 1970s, he took on several roles as a sports official, first on the national level in Sweden and soon after in international organizations. He became a council member of the Swedish Athletic Association in 1970, and was its president from 1973 to 1981. He became a council member of the umbrella organization for Swedish sport, the Swedish Sports Confederation, in 1975, and was its president from 1991 to 2001. His international career as a sports official started when he became a council member of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in 1976. He was one of IAAF's vice presidents from 1981 to 1999, and IAAF's senior vice president 1999–2007.
In 1994, he was elected a member of the IOC, and became the chairman of its Medical Commission in 2003.
Sports medicine and anti-doping work
Drawing benefit of his combined medical and sports background, Arne Ljungqvist was president of the Swedish Council of Sports Research from 1980 to 1993. In 1987, he became a member of IOC's Medical Commission, which has chaired since 2003. In these positions, Ljungqvist took notice of the increasing problems of doping in competitive sports, and its health consequences, and became a leading figure in anti-doping work. He became a board member of WADA when it was created in 1999, and later its vice chairman. He is also chairman of WADA's Health, Medical & Research Committee. Since 2008 he is the vice President of WADA.
In 2001 he received the KTH Grand Prize and in 2009 he was awarded the Sports Academy Honorary Award.
Professional positions
- Vice dean of Medical Faculty, Karolinska institute 1972 - 1977
- Prorector, Karolinska institute 1977 - 1983
- Chairman of Department of Pathology and Cytology, Karolinska Hospital 1983 - 1992
- Rector Swedish University College of Sport and Physical Education 1992 - 1996
- President of the Swedish Cancer Society 1992 - 2001
Other positions
- Chamberlain to His Majesty the King of Sweden 1977 - 1986
- Lord in Waiting to His Majesty the King of Sweden 1986 - date
Past and present offices in Swedish sport
- Council Member Swedish Athletic Association 1971 - 1973
- President Swedish Athletic Association 1973 - 1981
- Council Member Swedish Sports Confederation 1975 - 1989
- President, Swedish of Sports Research Council 1980 - 1992
- Council Member of the Swedish Olympic Committee 1989 - 2011
- President of the Swedish Sports Confederation 1989 - 2001
Past and present positions in International sport
- Council Member IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations)1976 - 1981
- Vice President IAAF 1981 - 1999
- Senior Vice President IAAF 1999 -2007
- Honorary Vice President IAAF 2007 - date
- Chairman of IAAF Medical Committee and Anti-Doping Commission 1981 - 2003
- Member of IOC Medical Commission 1987 - 2003
- Member of the International Olympic Committee 1994 – 2011
- Honorary member International Olympic Committee 2011 – date
- Chairman of IOC Medical Commission 2003 - 2014
- Member of the Board and Executive Committee of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 1999 – 2013
- Vice President of WADA 2007 – 2013
- Past Vice President of WADA 2013 - date
- Chairman of the Health, Medical & Research Committee of WADA 1999 - date
- Past Chairman of the Health, Medical & Research Committee of WADA 2014 - date
- Chairman of the "Professor Arne Ljungqvist Anti-Doping Foundation" 2011 -date
Competitive sports career
- Top class Swedish High Jumper – Personal Best 2.01m 1952
- Swedish Junior Champion – High Jump, Pole Vault, Javelin 1951
- Swedish Senior Champion – High Jump 1952
Represented Sweden at the Olympic Games in Helsinki 1952 and was amongst the top three ranked high jumpers in Europe.