In what can be called as one of the most sensational news from sports world this year, a Russian hacking group has claimed that tennis players Venus and Serena Williams and teenage gymnast Simone Biles had taken banned substances to enhance their performance during the summer Olympics. The group named ‘Fancy Bears’ has claimed that it has hacked the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) database. The group revealed that the US athletes received green light from WADA to take those banned substances. The leaked documents indicated that the athletes were granted medical exemptions – known as Therapeutic Use Exemptions – over several years.
WADA confirmed the news of its database being hacked by the Russians.
WADA Confirms Attack by Russian Cyber Espionage Group: https://t.co/PTBIxeOM9w
— WADA (@wada_ama) September 13, 2016
The report claimed that Serena Williams was taking a number of banned substances. She was allowed to take oxycodone, hydromorphone, prednisone and methylprednisolone in 2010, 2014 and 2015, despite the substances being placed on WADA’s list of banned substances.
https://twitter.com/FancyBears/status/775464800646205440
Biles who won four golds at the Rio Olympics tested positive for methylphenidate after giving a urine sample. However, she was given special dispensation to take the drug.
https://twitter.com/FancyBears/status/775444140658192386
But the gymnastic star has denied the claims and said that she had long been taking medicine for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The teenage sensation said that she had obtained the necessary permission to take prescription medicine on the Wada banned drugs list.
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) September 13, 2016
Well, we really hope that the accusations are false but if they are right then Biles will have to lose her medals and Deepa Karmakar, who finished fourth at the event might win the bronze medal.
Meanwhile, WADA condemned the whole incident and WADA’s Director General, 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.”