Tour News

List of hacked Olympian medical records now includes a golfer

Published

10 years ago

Sep 16, 2016

Furthering its #OpOlympics, the Russian hacker group Fancy Bears leaked additional Olympians’ medical records late Wednesday, the World Anti-Doping Agency confirms.

And now, in addition to names like Serena Williams and Simone Biles, a golfer’s medical details have been shared: asthma sufferer Charley Hull, who competed for Britain in Rio, was granted a therapeutic-use exemption (TUE) for a banned substance that is used in an inhaler.

The leaked documents reveal Hull (and other athletes) applications for TUEs, which if granted gave the athletes permission to use a banned substance if it was taken for a verifiable medical conduction.

Hull’s struggles with asthma are well documented. In July at the UL International Crown, the British golfer missed one day of competition due to an asthma attack, which she attributed at least in part to her difficulties going off her inhaler in an effort to comply with Olympic drug testing.

TUEs haved irked Fancy Bears, with the hacker collective feeling that some athletes weren’t competing on a level playing field and is the ostensible motivation for the hack.

WADA has confirmed that its Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) system was infiltrated via hacked email accounts connected with the International Olympic Committee.

“The IGF was contacted today by WADA informing us that confidential data from one golf athlete’s record had been illegally obtained from WADA’s ADAMS system and released into the public domain. The athlete was also notified of this breach by UK Anti-Doping,” Ty Votaw, Vice President of the IGF said. “WADA is unable to determine the extent of the data breach and is receiving intelligence and advice from law enforcement and IT security agencies on this and will continue to keep the IGF informed.”

Fancy Bears have indicated that the information revealed thus far is merely the “tip of the iceberg,” stating that further leaks are imminent.

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Ben Alberstadt

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

10 Comments

Dave r

Sep 16, 2016 at 9:23 pm

I honestly believe that there’s not a person in history of sports that has not taken something to help them with their game ,no matter what the sport is . Pain killers help individuals at any level to perform better. Now you can argue that this does not help but I know it sure helps me when I take an Advil during my game of golf or aspirin or something for hay fever .

Reply Report comment
- Grizz01
  
  Sep 17, 2016 at 7:51 pm
  
  I believe you are correct. I read a book called, “Pedestrianism.” About the biggest sport of the Antebellum period. It was as huge for their day as NFL is today. And they had everything from gambling issues to PED’s. Anything that puts a black eye on sports today… the had it. The PED in question was the use of cocaine leafs being chewed on to give extra stamina. (Pedestrianism was a sport on how low a person could walk in 6 days.. STRAIGHT.
  
  Reply Report comment
Grizz01

Sep 16, 2016 at 5:31 pm

“There are basically two types of competitors at the Olympic Games: those who have been caught using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) and those who have not been caught using PEDs. This is true of all human athletic competition, so somebody please tell Bob Costas that when the stakes are even marginally high competitive people will do anything it takes to win.” -Mark Riptoe

Reply Report comment
Slimeone

Sep 16, 2016 at 11:49 am

She might be only using the steroids in her asthma puffer (I use one myself) and I respect that, but people are correct to be sceptical about athletes using TUEs. TUEs have been exploited by athletes for years. A good example is the previously arbitrary TUE allowances for martial arts fighters to take testosterone supplements which resulted in many fighters abusing steroids badly.

Reply Report comment
doesnotno

Sep 16, 2016 at 11:27 am

“with the hacker collective feeling that some athletes weren’t competing on a level playing field”

And this is from a Russian hacking group, right?

Reply Report comment
- Just Do It
  
  Sep 16, 2016 at 11:50 am
  
  Doesn’t matter who it is, if the papers reveal the truth. It’s sad that players use some strong substances and are clearly getting an unfair advantage with those stimulants.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Rob
    
    Sep 18, 2016 at 11:06 pm
    
    Obvious Russian troll is obvious.
    
    Reply Report comment
TCJ

Sep 16, 2016 at 11:10 am

I love you Charley!

Reply Report comment
- Justin
  
  Sep 16, 2016 at 1:32 pm
  
  Funny, because the drugs in most inhalers are often used by bodybuilders to cut weight
  
  Reply Report comment
- Bigboy
  
  Sep 17, 2016 at 3:07 am
  
  She needs to get back on the fish n chips…i like them cuddly.
  
  Reply Report comment

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