Russian hackers release stars’ info, WADA says
Russian computer hackers penetrated the World Anti-Doping Agency’s athlete database and publicly revealed private medical information about three of the United States’ most famous athletes.
The hackers published documents this week showing that Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Simone Biles received medical exemptions to use banned drugs.
The anti-doping agency confirmed the authenticity of the documents in a statement Tuesday, attributing the hack to a Russian cyberespionage group called Tsar Team, also known as Fancy Bear.
“WADA deeply regrets this situation and is very conscious of the threat that it represents to athletes whose confidential information has been divulged through this criminal act,” Olivier Niggli, WADA’s director general, said Tuesday.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said the athletes in question had sought the requisite approvals to take typically prohibited substances, and that none of the drug positives constituted a violation.
Athletes with particular medical conditions may apply for special permission to take banned substances; the list of such prohibited drugs is updated each year.
In 2016, meldonium — a heart medication that improves blood flow — was added to that list, resulting in drug violations for several Russian athletes, including tennis star Maria Sharapova.
Sharapova was barred from competition for two years. She appealed that decision at an arbitration hearing in New York this month, and awaits a verdict in October.
The records published this week show that at the Rio Games, Biles — the 19-year-old gymnast who took home four gold medals — tested positive for a substance that is on the banned list.
The International Tennis Federation confirmed that exceptions were granted for Serena and Venus Williams to take substances included on that list, certifying the organization had approved them.
“In each of the situations, the athlete has done everything right in adhering to the global rules for obtaining permission to use a needed medication,” said Travis T. Tygart, president of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
“It’s unthinkable that in the Olympic movement, hackers would illegally obtain confidential medical information in an attempt to smear athletes to make it look as if they have done something wrong.”