The World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed that a Russian cyber espionage group operator by the name of Tsar Team (APT28), also known as Fancy Bear, illegally gained access to WADA’s Anti-Doping Administration and Management System database via an IOC-created account for the Rio 2016 Games. The group accessed athlete data, including confidential medical data -- such as Therapeutic Use Exemptions delivered by International Sports Federations (IFs) and National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) -- related to the Rio Games; and, subsequently released some of the data in the public domain, accompanied by the threat that they will release more.
While it is an evolving situation, at present, WADA believes that access to ADAMS was obtained through spear phishing of email accounts. WADA Dir 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." This attack comes on the heels of the early August incident when Yuliya Stepanova’s password for ADAMS was illegally obtained, which allowed a perpetrator to access her account on ADAMS. Stepanova was the key whistleblower for WADA’s Independent Pound Commission that exposed widespread doping in Russian athletics (WADA).
WILLIAMS SISTERS TARGETED: THE NEW DAILY's Neil Frankland wrote among the athletes targeted by Fancy Bear "were Serena and Venus Williams, as well as teenage gymnast Simone Biles," who won four Gold Medals in Rio. The Fancy Bears’ group claimed on its website, "After detailed studying of the hacked WADA databases we figured out that dozens of American athletes had tested positive." The group said that gymnast Biles was one of the "American doping athletes," linking 13 files it said support its claims. Fancy Bear said, "She [Biles] is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and ten-time world gold medalist. In August 2016, she tested positive after illicit methylphenidate, a psychostimulant, was detected in her sample." Fancy Bear accused tennis players Serena and Venus Williams "of various doping breaches." It said, "Serena Williams, world’s top tennis player, is taking oxycodone and hydromorphone (opioids), prednisone, prednisolone, and methylprednisolone as well." The group also alleged that U.S. basketball player Elena Delle Donne "had used an amphetamine" (THE NEW DAILY, 9/13).
