Outrage as Russian hackers release Williams sisters’ data, which revealed the sisters were on drugs

The World Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday slammed Russian hackers who breached its database and published confidential records of US Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.

WADA said in a statement that the Russian cyber-espionage group Tsar Team (APT28), also known as Fancy Bears, had broken into its Anti-Doping Administration and Management System database.

The hacking group released information gleaned from the files of Biles, the Williams sisters and US women’s basketball player Elena Delle Donne.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency characterised the hack as a “cowardly and despicable” attempt to smear the four women.

“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,” USADA chief executive Travis Tygart said.

The World Anti-Doping Agency allowed US tennis players Serena and Venus Williams to take banned substances, while gymnast Simone Biles failed a doping test yet avoided disqualification, the hacking group revealed Tuesday.

According to the Fancy Bear group, which released Wada documents after hacking the agency, former No. 1 tennis player Serena Williams was allowed to take banned substances such as oxycodone, hydromorphone, prednisone and methylprednisolone in 2010, 2014 and 2015.

Venus Williams was allowed to take prednisone, prednisolone and triamcinolone among others in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. The documents do not reveal the diagnoses of the athletes which led to Wada allowing them to take the substances.

WADA confirmed on Tuesday that the group had been able to access athlete data, including confidential medical reports, related to the Rio Olympics and subsequently released it into the public domain.