Leaked documents from the World Anti-Doping Agency's athlete database show the 19-year-old gymnast along with Serena and Venus Williams tested positive for banned substances.
- September 14, 2016
AceShowbiz -
Simone Biles took to Twitter on Tuesday, September 13 to respond to drug testing leak by a Russian cyber espionage group operator by the name of Tsar Team (APT28), also known as Fancy Bear. According to the leaked documents from the World Anti-Doping Agency's athlete database, Simone along with Serena Williams and Venus Williams tested positive for banned substances.
Simone stated she did not do anything illegal. "I have ADHD and I have taken medicine for it since I was a kid," she tweeted, "Please know, I believe in clean sport, have always followed the rules, and will continue to do so as fair play is critical to sport and is very important to me." She added, "Having ADHD, and taking medicine for it is nothing to be ashamed of nothing that I'm afraid to let people know."
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) September 13, 2016
Having ADHD, and taking medicine for it is nothing to be ashamed of nothing that I'm afraid to let people know.
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) September 13, 2016
United States Gymnastics officials said Simone's drug use had been pre-approved. "Simone has filed the proper paperwork," said Steve Penny, president of the organization, "Simone and everyone at USA Gymnastics believe in the importance of a level playing field for all athletes."
USA Gymnastics statement regarding Simone Biles and WADA hack: pic.twitter.com/YTq2iVS7Vu
— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) September 13, 2016
The World Anti-Doping Agency's Director General Olivier Niggli also issued a statement regarding the leak, saying, "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, IFs and NADOs, 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," Olivier added, "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."
The International Tennis Federation confirmed that it had approved exceptions for Serena and Venus to take banned substances. "In each of the situations, the athlete has done everything right in adhering to the global rules for obtaining permission to use a needed medication," said Travis T. Tygart, president of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, "It's unthinkable that in the Olympic movement, hackers would illegally obtain confidential medical information in an attempt to smear athletes to make it look as if they have done something wrong."
The hackers warned that they planned to release medical records of additional athletes from around the world in coming days. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," read a statement on the Fancy Bear's website, "Today's sport is truly contaminated while the world is unaware of the large number of American doping athletes."
