*It looks like Russian hackers want you to know that Olympic darling and champion gymnast Simone Biles has ADHD. In the wake of the leak, Biles confirmed that she has taken medication for the condition since she was a child.
The Olympian made the announcement Tuesday (09-13-16) after the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) disclosed that Russian hackers had publicly released the confidential records of some U.S. Olympic athletes, including Biles’. The 4-time gold medalist’s leaked data showed that she had tested positive for methylphenidate, also often known as Ritalin.
Methylphenidate is a banned WADA substance. But U.S.A. Gymnastics wrote in a statement that Biles had received an exemption since she takes it because of her medical condition, reports the Huffington Post.
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“Simone has filed the proper paperwork per USADA and WADA requirements, and there is no violation,” Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics, said in a statement. “The International Gymnastics Federation, the United States Olympic Committee and USADA have confirmed this. Simone and everyone at USA Gymnastics believe in the importance of a level playing field for all athletes.”
Even though the hackers made her personal information public, Biles said on Tuesday that she is not embarrassed to open up about her ADHD.
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) September 13, 2016
According to the BBC, the hack appears to be an act of revenge – retaliation for WADA’s damning report into Russian state-sponsored cheating.
Although the Russian government has denied any involvement, it has always maintained that the country has been made a scapegoat for a much wider problem, and this will only add fuel to that fire.
Although the athletes concerned have broken no rules, the revelations – along with the threat of more leaks of other competitors’ medical records – will inevitably exacerbate the controversy surrounding TUEs at a time when sport’s leaders are desperately trying to restore trust.
The report goes on the say that many Olympic athletes will now be nervously wondering if their private medical details records are the next to be made public.
Read/learn MORE at BBC.
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