She admitted that she has taken ADHD medicine since she was a child, and she still believes in clean sport.
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“I’d like to thank the hackers for making the world aware that I legally take a prescription for a condition I’ve been diagnosed with, which WADA granted me an exception for”, Donne said via Twitter.
The athlete tweeted the news after the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) revealed that Russian hackers had gained access to and released the medical records of several Olympic competitors.
“Therapeutic Use Exemptions” allows athletes to use substances that are banned unless there is a verified medical need.
The World Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday revealed it had been hacked by a Russian cyber espionage group going by the name of Tsar Team (APT28) – also known as Fancy Bear. Simone, who took home four gold medals from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, had her standing as a champion called into question by some social media users after her records showed she tested positive for the drug Ritalin.
– Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) September 13, 2016Having ADHD, and taking medicine for it is nothing to be ashamed of nothing that I’m afraid to let people know.
However, Biles’s taking of the drug was completely legal, since the International Gymnastics Federation previously approved her to do so.
Travis Tygart, who is now the CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said, “The cyber-bullying of innocent athletes being engaged in by these hackers is cowardly and despicable”.
“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”, Director General Olivier Niggli said.
Medical experts point out that the drug is one of many common or over-the-counter drugs that athletes either must avoid or get a waiver to take. WADA previously warned of cyberattacks after investigators it appointed published reports into Russian state-sponsored doping.
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It already feels like the Rio Olympics was a million years ago, but there continues to be residual drama.
