The information leaked by the group behind the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) hack raises lots of questions, as it revealed that some healthy athletes were allowed to use doping while the whole Russian Paralympic team was banned only on suspicion, Vladimir Putin has said. But, those hoping to see a bomb blast Thursday morning were reminded that the British cycling stars are playing by the books. “I was seriously ill following this hospitalization and I am upset I have to justify in the public domain my personal medical records”.
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Under what circumstances do the WADA clear these athletes for therapeutic usage exceptions is a matter that needs to look into, the hackers say, adding that these exceptions could be basically a “license for doping”.
Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome were among five members of the team which brought home 67 medals to have their records published following a hack of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
There is no evidence of any wrongdoing by the sportspeople involved, with the hackers having disclosed instances where TUEs have been granted, enabling competitors to use medications for legitimate reasons.
Niggli said the hack on WADA’s computer system constituted “retaliation” against the agency, which imposed heavy penalties against Russian Federation over doping, including banning practically its entire athletics team from the Rio Olympics.
The agency’s independent McLaren report, released in July, said that Russians had swapped positive doping samples for clean ones during the 2014 Sochi Olympics, with the support of the Russian secret service.
Wiggins’ spokesman said: “Everyone knows Brad suffers from asthma; his medical treatment is BC [British Cycling] and UCI [International Cycling Union] approved and, like all Team GB athletes, he follows Wada regulations to the letter”.
“In nine years as a professional I’ve twice required a TUE for exacerbated asthma, the last time was in 2014”.
Three leaks of personal data from WADA spark discussions of data security and face strong critism from national anti-doping agencies.
“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”, said WADA director general Olivier Niggli to members of the media. The information of 25 athletes, from eight countries was leaked to the public.
“The IOC can confirm however that the athletes mentioned did not violate any anti-doping rules during the Olympic Games Rio 2016”, the Olympic body said.
The statement on behalf of Wiggins said the leak was an attempt to undermine the credibility of WADA and thats something for them to deal with..
“We do not support what the hackers do, but what they did can not but be of interest to the worldwide community, and most of all to the sports community”, Putin said at a regional leaders summit in Central Asian Kyrgyzstan, Russian news agencies reported.
These Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) are exemptions given to use a banned substances – but are completely legal under cycling rules. “We condemn this criminal activity and have asked the Russian Government to do everything in their power to make it stop”, he went on.
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The Kremlin has already said it was ready to help, while also denying any Russian involvement in the hacking. “The program is a rigorous and necessary part of elite sport; and, it has overwhelming acceptance from athletes, physicians and all anti-doping stakeholders”.
