The World Anti-Doping Agency has confirmed that data relating to Yuliya Stepanova, the Russian athlete who helped blow the whistle on the state sponsored doping scandal that led to its track and field team being banned, has been hacked.
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Stepanova, in hiding in North America, helped reveal the biggest state-backed doping programme in Russian Federation and was forced to flee the country with her husband for fear of her life.
WADA confirmed that her account was the only athlete account that was hacked proving that someone had attempted to uncover her undisclosed location in the United States, Stepanova’s representative added.
The agency did not give information about what details in Stepanova’s account were consulted.
Athletes have ADAMS accounts where they enter their current whereabouts so they could be tested at any time by WADA agencies around the world.
Stepanova’s evidence was key to WADA’s Independent Pound Report Commission that exposed widespread doping in Russian athletics, but the global body says access to the middle-distance runner’s ADAMS account has been “illegally obtained”. Stepanova’s account to prevent further access and notified her of the situation.
On Monday, Stepanova and her husband planned to make an announcement ahead of the women’s 800m race at the Rio Olympics, from which the Russian runner had been banned to participate by the International Olympic Committee.
Stepanova, praised by the global athletics body (IAAF) for her courage in stepping forward and revealing details on widespread doping in Russian Federation, is still an active athlete and had attempted to compete in Rio.
“Wada is in contact with the relevant law enforcement authorities”, a statement said.
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The IOC considered a ban of all Russian athletes from the Rio Olympics based on the state-sponsored doping allegations, but decided against it, leaving the final decisions with the worldwide sports federations.
