Russian President Putin has said the medical leaks show healthy athletes
using seemingly illegal substances. The IOC said it will help WADA
investigate the hack and communicate with Russian officials.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that athletes' medical
records leaked from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) "raise a lot of
questions."
Medical exemptions allowed athletes to take otherwise banned substances, he said. Such a practice would be in line with anti-doping rules that permit some substances to be used when authorities are properly informed.
"It seems as if healthy athletes are taking drugs legally that are prohibited for others," Putin said at a regional leaders summit in Kyrgyzstan, according to Russian news agencies. "And people who are clearly suffering from serious illnesses, major disabilities, are suspected of taking some kind of substances and banned from the Paralympics Games.
"We do not support what the hackers do, but what they did cannot but be of interest to the international community, and most of all to the sports community," he added.
Putin's comments came just a few hours before the Russian hacking group Tsar Team (APT28), also known as Fancy Bears, released a third batch of leaked test data. The latest leaks implicate a further 11 athletes from Germany, Britain and Spain, among others.
WADA has said that the accounts include confidential data, including Therapeutic Use Exemptions. These exemptions, issued by sports federations and national anti-doping organizations, allow athletes to take certain substances that would otherwise be prohibited.
IOC promises to help WADA investigate leak
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) promised to help WADA communicate with Russian authorities over the data hack. On Friday, IOC President Thomas Bach called the leak "an unacceptable and outrageous breach of medical confidentiality that attempts to smear innocent athletes who have not committed any doping offence."
Since being elected in 2013, Bach has been regarded as a close ally to Russia. "The IOC will help WADA," Bach said, "including communicating with the Russian authorities to underline the seriousness of the issue and request all possible assistance to stop the hackers."
WADA calls hack Russian retaliation
WADA has said it believes the hack to be retaliation for its investigations into Russian state-backed doping programs, as well as for Olympic bans imposed on almost the entire Russian track and field team and an outright ban for all athletes from the Paralympics.
The hacker group has already released confidential records belonging to US athletes, including gymnast Simone Biles and tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams.
Russian authorities have denied any involvement in the hack and said they are ready to cooperate in WADA's investigation.
Source: http://www.dw.com/en/putin-wada-leaks-raise-a-lot-of-questions/a-19557985
Medical exemptions allowed athletes to take otherwise banned substances, he said. Such a practice would be in line with anti-doping rules that permit some substances to be used when authorities are properly informed.
"It seems as if healthy athletes are taking drugs legally that are prohibited for others," Putin said at a regional leaders summit in Kyrgyzstan, according to Russian news agencies. "And people who are clearly suffering from serious illnesses, major disabilities, are suspected of taking some kind of substances and banned from the Paralympics Games.
"We do not support what the hackers do, but what they did cannot but be of interest to the international community, and most of all to the sports community," he added.
Putin's comments came just a few hours before the Russian hacking group Tsar Team (APT28), also known as Fancy Bears, released a third batch of leaked test data. The latest leaks implicate a further 11 athletes from Germany, Britain and Spain, among others.
WADA has said that the accounts include confidential data, including Therapeutic Use Exemptions. These exemptions, issued by sports federations and national anti-doping organizations, allow athletes to take certain substances that would otherwise be prohibited.
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Latest WADA hack exposes athletes' records
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) promised to help WADA communicate with Russian authorities over the data hack. On Friday, IOC President Thomas Bach called the leak "an unacceptable and outrageous breach of medical confidentiality that attempts to smear innocent athletes who have not committed any doping offence."
Since being elected in 2013, Bach has been regarded as a close ally to Russia. "The IOC will help WADA," Bach said, "including communicating with the Russian authorities to underline the seriousness of the issue and request all possible assistance to stop the hackers."
WADA calls hack Russian retaliation
WADA has said it believes the hack to be retaliation for its investigations into Russian state-backed doping programs, as well as for Olympic bans imposed on almost the entire Russian track and field team and an outright ban for all athletes from the Paralympics.
The hacker group has already released confidential records belonging to US athletes, including gymnast Simone Biles and tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams.
Russian authorities have denied any involvement in the hack and said they are ready to cooperate in WADA's investigation.
Source: http://www.dw.com/en/putin-wada-leaks-raise-a-lot-of-questions/a-19557985