Speaking from a secretive location via conference call, Stepanova, a former 800 metres runner, and her husband, an ex-employee of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, dismissed Bach’s claims that the International Olympic Committee had done more to help them that any other body. A “perpetrator” had illegally obtained the athlete’s password and accessed details which would normally allow someone to know her registered whereabouts, officials at the organisation said.
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Stepanova was forced to leave Russian Federation and live in hiding after revealing the information, which no doubt upset the government.
The middle-distance runner’s location has been a closely guarded secret since she went into hiding in the USA, after helping reveal a state-backed doping program in Russian Federation. Vitaly lost his job with RUSADA five years ago for “speaking out against doping”, he claimed before adding, “Russian athletes know exactly what is happening in Russia”.
Wada said the incident came just days after what it said was “an alleged hack” of their website with some users receiving e-mails that looked as if they came from Wada urging them to enter their credentials.
The two whistleblowers that helped expose Russia’s systematic athletic doping program are believed to be on the run again, reportedly looking for new safe haven in the United States after their whereabouts were compromised earlier this week.
Journalists from multiple worldwide media outlets received an unsigned email early Saturday morning from a private Switzerland-based group that has been supporting Stepanova and her husband Vitaly Stepanov with a fundraising effort also endorsed by several past and current prominent Olympic athletes. “Because if someone wanted to hurt us, I think it would be very easy to do it there”.
At Rio, Russian athletes like swimmer Yulia Efimova have been on the receiving end of unforgiving censure following their return in the wake of the doping scandal. “It should also be noted that WADA is in contact with the relevant law enforcement authorities”.
The IOC denied that, saying it did so because of her history of doping.
“Unfortunately, like many organisations, Wada is not immune to attempted cyber-attacks”, it said.
“[The IOC] never tried to understand our situation”, she said.
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Yuliya Stepanova said she discovered her personal email account was blocked a few days ago, but didn’t think much of it at first.
