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Russian hackers hit WADA, says Serena, Biles ‘allowed to dope’
LOS ANGELES: The World Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday confirmed Russian hackers had breached its database and published confidential athlete records, the second attack
LOS ANGELES: The World Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday confirmed Russian hackers had breached its database and published confidential athlete records, the second attack on the organisation since early August.
WADA said in a statement that the Russian cyber espionage group Tsar Team (APT28), also known as Fancy Bear, had broken into its Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) database.
The Fancy Bear group published a series of files relating to prominent US athletes — tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams and gymnast Simone Biles and basketball player Elena Delle Donne — which detailed instances of “adverse analytical findings” (AAFs) or their use of therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs).
An AAF means that a substance on WADA’s banned list has been found in an athlete’s system but it is not classified as an anti-doping violation if it can be legitimately explained for a medical reason.
The hacking group allege the Americans were allowed to consume banned substances by WADA. “After detailed studying of the hacked WADA databases we figured out that dozens of American athletes had tested positive,” the Fancy Bears’ group claimed on its website.
‘LICENCE TO DOPE’
“The Rio Olympic medallists regularly used illicit strong drugs justified by certificates of approval for therapeutic use,” it said.
“In other words they just got their licenses for doping. This is other evidence that WADA and IOC’s Medical and Scientific Department are corrupt and deceitful.”
“As predicted, the USA dominated the 2016 Olympics medal count with 46 gold, 37 silver, 38 bronze for 121 total. The US team played well but not fair.”
The site claimed former No.1 Serena was allowed to take banned substances such as oxycodone, hydromorphone, prednisone and methylprednisolone in 2010, 2014 and 2015.
Biles failed a doping test for methylphenidate yet avoided disqualification, it claimed.
Venus was allowed to take prednisone, prednisolone and triamcinolone among others in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. The documents do not reveal the diagnoses of the athletes which led to WADA allowing them to take the substances.
