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The World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed that its database had been accessed by an outfit that WADA says is a Russian cyber espionage group.
Known as Fancy Bear, the group released information on four American athletes — Simone Biles, Elena Delle Donne, Serena Williams and Venus Williams — on its website on Monday.
“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,” WADA director general Olivier Niggli said in a statement. “We are reaching out to stakeholders, such as the IOC, IFs and NADOs, regarding the specific athletes impacted.”
This is at least the second time in the past month that a hacker has gained access to WADA’s Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) database.
WADA previously confirmed that someoneaccessed the ADAMS account for Russian whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova, an 800-meter runner whose revelations of widespread doping in Russian athletics led to that team being banned from competing in Rio.
WADA said it believes Fancy Bear, which is also known as Tsar Team, accessed the Americans’ data through an International Olympic Committee account created for the Rio Olympics by spear phishing email accounts to obtain passwords to its database. It said it does not believe other ADAMS data has been compromised.
The agency said it has contacted relevant law enforcement and is conducting security checks.
In releasing the records on Monday, Fancy Bear said it plans to release more information.
The group said, “After detailed studying of the hacked WADA databases we figured out that dozens of American athletes had tested positive. The Rio Olympic medalists regularly used illicit strong drugs justified by certificates of approval for therapeutic use. 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.”
The information published Monday included adverse analytical findings from Rio and therapeutic use exemptions. Athletes can take a drug for which they might test positive and not be sanctioned so long as they have received a therapeutic use exemption.
In a statement to Russian news agency TASS, the IOC condemned the hack and said the athletes mentioned did not violate anti-doping rules. The IOC did not immediately reply to messages from USA TODAY Sports.
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart responded in a statement, saying, "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. The athletes haven’t. In fact, 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. The respective International Federations, through the proper process, granted the permission and it was recognized by the IOC and USADA. The cyber-bullying of innocent athletes being engaged in by these hackers is cowardly and despicable."
The leaked documents showed Biles tested positive for a drug used to treat ADHD during the Rio Games as well as previous therapeutic use exemptions for a medication that treats ADHD.
Biles, the 19-year-old gymnast who won four gold medals and a bronze in Rio, wrote on Twitter that she has ADHD and has taken medication for it since she was a kid. "Please know I believe in clean sport, have always followed the rules and will continue to do so as fair play is critical to sport and is very critical to me," her tweet read.
The IOC is responsible for results management of drug testing during the Games, and it typically acts quickly after any positive test (or adverse analytical finding). A special anti-doping division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is set up during the Games specifically to hear appeals of any sanctions.
That panel heard eight cases in Rio, none of which was for an American.
The hack comes as Russia has been mired in a doping scandal for nearly a year. Reports commissioned by WADA which were released in November and July showed widespread doping with coverups extending to the highest level of Russian sport and with government assistance.
The IOC declined to ban Russia following the release of the McLaren Report in July, instead delegating the decision to the international federations that govern each sport. The country competed with about 70 percent of its original team, and it finished fourth in the medal count with 56.
The United States led the medal count with 121.
The International Paralympic Committee banned last month Russia entirely from competing in the Paralympic Games, which conclude on Sunday.
“WADA condemns these ongoing cyber-attacks that are being carried out in an attempt to undermine WADA and the global anti-doping system,” said Niggli. “Let it be known that these criminal acts are greatly compromising the effort by the global anti-doping community to re-establish trust in Russia further to the outcomes of the agency’s independent McLaren Investigation Report.”
Known as Fancy Bear, the group released information on four American athletes — Simone Biles, Elena Delle Donne, Serena Williams and Venus Williams — on its website on Monday.
“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,” WADA director general Olivier Niggli said in a statement. “We are reaching out to stakeholders, such as the IOC, IFs and NADOs, regarding the specific athletes impacted.”
This is at least the second time in the past month that a hacker has gained access to WADA’s Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) database.
WADA previously confirmed that someoneaccessed the ADAMS account for Russian whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova, an 800-meter runner whose revelations of widespread doping in Russian athletics led to that team being banned from competing in Rio.
WADA said it believes Fancy Bear, which is also known as Tsar Team, accessed the Americans’ data through an International Olympic Committee account created for the Rio Olympics by spear phishing email accounts to obtain passwords to its database. It said it does not believe other ADAMS data has been compromised.
The agency said it has contacted relevant law enforcement and is conducting security checks.
In releasing the records on Monday, Fancy Bear said it plans to release more information.
The group said, “After detailed studying of the hacked WADA databases we figured out that dozens of American athletes had tested positive. The Rio Olympic medalists regularly used illicit strong drugs justified by certificates of approval for therapeutic use. 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.”
The information published Monday included adverse analytical findings from Rio and therapeutic use exemptions. Athletes can take a drug for which they might test positive and not be sanctioned so long as they have received a therapeutic use exemption.
In a statement to Russian news agency TASS, the IOC condemned the hack and said the athletes mentioned did not violate anti-doping rules. The IOC did not immediately reply to messages from USA TODAY Sports.
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart responded in a statement, saying, "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. The athletes haven’t. In fact, 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. The respective International Federations, through the proper process, granted the permission and it was recognized by the IOC and USADA. The cyber-bullying of innocent athletes being engaged in by these hackers is cowardly and despicable."
The leaked documents showed Biles tested positive for a drug used to treat ADHD during the Rio Games as well as previous therapeutic use exemptions for a medication that treats ADHD.
Biles, the 19-year-old gymnast who won four gold medals and a bronze in Rio, wrote on Twitter that she has ADHD and has taken medication for it since she was a kid. "Please know I believe in clean sport, have always followed the rules and will continue to do so as fair play is critical to sport and is very critical to me," her tweet read.
The IOC is responsible for results management of drug testing during the Games, and it typically acts quickly after any positive test (or adverse analytical finding). A special anti-doping division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is set up during the Games specifically to hear appeals of any sanctions.
That panel heard eight cases in Rio, none of which was for an American.
The hack comes as Russia has been mired in a doping scandal for nearly a year. Reports commissioned by WADA which were released in November and July showed widespread doping with coverups extending to the highest level of Russian sport and with government assistance.
The IOC declined to ban Russia following the release of the McLaren Report in July, instead delegating the decision to the international federations that govern each sport. The country competed with about 70 percent of its original team, and it finished fourth in the medal count with 56.
The United States led the medal count with 121.
The International Paralympic Committee banned last month Russia entirely from competing in the Paralympic Games, which conclude on Sunday.
“WADA condemns these ongoing cyber-attacks that are being carried out in an attempt to undermine WADA and the global anti-doping system,” said Niggli. “Let it be known that these criminal acts are greatly compromising the effort by the global anti-doping community to re-establish trust in Russia further to the outcomes of the agency’s independent McLaren Investigation Report.”
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