The
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has condemned a Russian cyber group
who hacked their system and released confidential medical information
about US athletes taking banned substances.
Both the International Federation of Gymnasts and the International Tennis Federation said no rules had been broken and that the use of the substances was permitted under ‘Therepeutic Use Exemptions’.
The Russian group, who go by the name of ‘Fancy Bear’, illegally gained access to WADA’s so-called ‘Anti-Doping Administration and Management System’.
WADA confirmed that the hackers had access to athletes’ confidential information, including medical data.
Director general of WADA Olivier Niggli said: ‘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.
‘We are reaching out to stakeholders, such as the IOC (International Olympic Committee), Ifs (International Sports Federations) and NADOs (National Anti-Doping Organisations), regarding the specific athletes impacted.
‘WADA condemns these ongoing cyber-attacks that are being carried out in an attempt to undermine WADA and the global anti-doping system.
‘WADA has been informed by law enforcement authorities that these attacks are originating out of Russia.
‘Let it be known that these criminal acts are greatly compromising the effort by the global anti-doping community to re-establish trust in Russia further to the outcomes of the Agency’s independent McLaren Investigation Report.’
Russia’s track and field team were banned from the Rio Olympics over a state-backed doping programme.