Fancy Bears leak: medical data on four more Australian athletes emerges
Four more Australian athletes including Olympic swim star Cate Campbell and world champion slalom canoeist Jessica Fox have had their confidential medical information leaked by cyber espionage group Fancy Bears.
The information released includes details of therapeutic use exemptions or TUEs, which allow athletes to use certain prohibited substances under strict rules to treat legitimate medical conditions.
The records are the fifth batch published by the Russian hackers who stole them from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s data storage system.
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Queensland swimmers Madison Wilson and Taylor McKeown are the other two Australians among 41 international athletes whose details are the latest to be circulated from Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Serbia, South Africa, Switzerland, Sweden and the US.
The release has been quickly condemned by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority which rejects any suggestion of wrongdoing by the athletes.
“Before being granted, TUE applications are assessed by a number of medical experts through a rigorous process,” the body said in a statement issued on Saturday.
“In the cases of all four [Australian] athletes named today, this process determined that their medication use was both necessary for their health and would not give performance enhancing benefits.
“Asada again condemns the malicious attacks. The leaks are a poor attempt to discredit these athletes and do not show any wrong doing. Certainly, such exemptions do not constitute doping.”
The leaks are a poor attempt to discredit these athletes and do not show any wrong doing.
British Olympic star Mo Farah, who is also among the total 107 athletes who have now had their records leaked, said on Monday he had nothing to hide.
Other big names include Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal, Britain’s Olympic golf champion Justin Rose and Tour de France champions Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome along with Australian trio Kim Brennan, Jack Bobridge and Alexander Belonogoff.
Asada condemned the hackers after Rio rowing champion Brennan, cyclist Bobridge and rower Belonogoff featured on a third list of 11 athletes whose details were released earlier this month.