The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said Stepanova’s password was “illegally obtained”, allowing unknown perpetrators to hack into her account on the agency’s database – a system that stores information about athletes’ locations for drug testing.
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She said she has not been able to access either account, and she’s particularly anxious about the ADAMS account hack.
The Russian athlete has been living in hiding for the past years together with her husband, Vitaliy Stepanov, a former employee of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency RUSADA.
“We decided it was safer to relocate If something happens to us then you should know that it is not an accident.”
Stepanova revealed how Russian sporting agencies had helped athletes dope ahead of sporting events leading to sweeping bans against athletes in that country participating in the Rio Olympic and Paralympic games.
WADA explained that it is contact with “the relevant law enforcement authorities” and that it has always been a target for hackers.
“In our current location we do feel safe, but unfortunately the reaction to our actions in our home country is not positive, a lot of people in general and athletes as well hate us for what we did and we would not go back to Russian Federation right now”. But when the International Olympic Committee blocked her involvement she said she would not appeal the decision, which was heavily criticised by anti-doping organisations.
The Stepanovs fled Russia in advance of a November 2014 German television documentary that used their secretly recorded footage and other information to expose extensive organized doping in Russian track and field.
The IOC denied that, saying it did so because of her history of doping.
Wada said it had found the 800m runner’s account had been accessed by a third party. However, it has felt it appropriate to ban all Russian Paraolympians.
She and her husband Vital (they also have a young son) had however been invited as special guests to the Rio Olympics.
The Stepanovs said they don’t regret taking the whistleblower role.
Yuliya Stepanova, seen here in 2011, is in hiding with her husband, Vitaly Stepanova.
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“I am more frightened now because we have never been hacked before”, she said.
