A group of Russian hackers is being blamed for a hack on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) database and a subsequent leak of confidential medical files of numerous U.S. Olympic athletes.
Among those affected are Serena (pictured above) and Venus Williams, gymnast Simone Biles and basketball player Elena Della Donne, ESPN reported.
A group that calls itself “Fancy Bears” leaked the personal data online Tuesday and accused Biles of taking an “illicit psycho-stimulant.” However, the 19-year-old gold medalist claims she was taking the medication for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and stressed that she believes “in clean sport.”
Also Read: Kaley Cuoco Flashes Breast on Snapchat, Beats Hackers to the Punch This Time
Medical records posted by the hackers show that Biles tested positive for methylphenidate in four tests in August, but had been issued certificates by the International Gymnastics Federation to use the drug once-a-day.
Also Read: Leslie Jones' Hacker Was a Milo Yiannopoulos Fan, Revenge Porn Lawyer Says
“WADA condemns these ongoing cyber-attacks that are being carried out in an attempt to undermine WADA and the global anti-doping system,” Olivier Niggli, director general, WADA, said in a statement. “WADA has been informed by law enforcement authorities that these attacks are originating out of Russia,” he continued.
“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.”
Also Read: Donald Trump Gets His Wish: Hillary Clinton Emails Hacked, Too
According to the BBC, Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was “out of the question” that the Kremlin or secret services were involved in the hack, Russian news agencies reported.
Russia’s track and field team was banned from the Rio Olympics over an alleged state-backed doping program. All of its athletes are barred from the ongoing Paralympics.
How Simone Biles Beat Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt to Win Twitter Gold at the Olympics
Rio Olympics Are Over, So Where Will the Refugee Athletes Go Now?
Ryan Lochte Loses Two More Sponsors Amid Rio Olympics Scandal