Russian Cyber Group Hack World Anti-Doping Agency In Revenge For The Country's Olympic Ban

The London Daily Mail ^ | 13:45 EST, 13 September 2016 | By RORY TINGLE FOR MAILONLINE

[drewh]

A group of Russian hackers claim to have found files showing the Williams sisters and gymnast Simone Biles were allowed to take banned substances by anti-doping bosses. Hacktivists Fancy Bears leaked documents that allegedly demonstrate both Venus and Serena Williams took substances that were on the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) banned list. However, the International Tennis Federation said the Williams sisters had been given permission to use the drugs for 'therapeutic use'.

Fancy Bears claimed American gymnast Simone Biles tested positive for another banned substance in August but also had special dispensation to use it. Both the International Federation of Gymnasts and the International Tennis Federation said no rules had been broken. The hack on the WADA is thought to have been carried out in revenge for Russia being banned from the Olympics in Rio.

The Kremlin was furious at the treatment of its athletes in Rio with some accusing Olympic chiefs of operating ‘double standards’ in banning Russian athletes while allowing US athletes previously found guilty of doping to compete. WADA confirmed Russian hackers broke into its database and posted some athletes' confidential medical data online.

The hackers revealed records of 'Therapeutic Use Exemptions' which allow athletes to use substances that are banned unless there is a verified medical need. WADA previously warned of cyber-attacks after investigators it appointed published investigations into Russian state-sponsored doping. Director general Olivier Ni

[grania]

Am I reading this correctly? An athlete is not breaking the rules if WADA says they can break the rules?

Wow.

[IronJack]

This doping crap is getting ridiculous. Lance Armstrong was stripped of his record 7 Tour de France wins. Floyd Landis lost his the following year. Alberto Contador, a former member of the Armstrong team, was also cited. Now we find out Olympic athletes are using the stuff. That's on top of the baseball and football steroid scandals of the not-so-distant past.

Why does anyone even bother watching athletics these days? They're nothing more than contests among doctors and pharmacists to see who can manufacture the best lab rat.

[DuhYup]

I wouldn’t mind if they were just honest and let everybody use whatever drugs they wanted. It would be interesting to see what the ultimate lab rat ended up looking like.

What is crap is saying that the allowed drugs for medical conditions are being taken at exactly the level that it takes to make the person “normal” but not an iota more to where it gives an advantage.

[GnuThere]

Great. Now when can we arrange a chromosome test for the Williams sisters?

[IronJack]

I think just the opposite should hold. You compete as God made you or you don’t compete. I don’t care who’s got the best Dr. Frankenstein alchemist hidden away in his closet. I want to see who has the greatest natural abilities and the fewest natural handicaps. I also want to see the guys who make up for a lack of the former and an abundance of the latter through sheer hard work and guts.