Duma deputy proposes looking into how WADA issued "therapeutic permits" to U.S. athletes
MOSCOW. Sept 13 (Interfax) - The situation around the issuance of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) that allowed U.S. athletes to use banned medications proves there is a policy of double standards on this issue, Dmitry Svishchev, head of the State Duma Committee for Fitness and Sports, told Interfax.
"There is no way I would welcome this information having thus become public domain. Hacking websites is illegal. On the other hand, what has become available proves the existence of the double standards: what is okay for Americans is a no for Russians," Svishchev said.
It is necessary to find out how the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) issues the so-called TUEs, he said, adding that what happened proves the need for urgent reform of this organization.
"People not only in Russia, but also abroad are already saying that WADA reform is overdue. The situation will escalate into what already will be a serious conflict between the International Olympic Committee and WADA," Svishchev said.
While there are no formal charges against the athletes taking serious substances on the basis of TUEs, such charges could arise in the very near future, he said.
"Formally, there are no charges against them: there is a paper permit, there is a direction for use for prevention and treatment. But they are grown-ups after all. There are no official charges but I think these will arise in the very near future," the head of the Duma committee said.
Foreign countries are beginning to prepare ground to allow TUEs to be issued already at the youth sports stage: "When they realize that this athlete could make a world champion or an Olympic champion, they start stuffing him with drugs and making various diagnoses," he said.
Such practice is not widespread in Russia, Svishchev said.
"This is unacceptable, and, fortunately, is not a widespread violation in Russia. For us it is a violation, for them it is the norm. Regrettably, WADA accepts that. I think this issue will now be reviewed there and will not be left without attention, we too must not leave it without our attention," the head of the parliamentary committee said.
On Tuesday the website of the Italian newspaper La Gazetta Dello Sport reported a hack attack on the WADA database containing confidential data which might point to the use of banned substances by famous U.S. athletes, including during the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
According to the report, hackers ostensibly gained access to private information whereby a number of famous U.S. male and female athletes provided WADA with medical certificates to explain suspicious results of their doping tests.
The athletes, who included the sisters Venus and Serena Williams and the four-time Rio Olympic champion in artistic gymnastics Simone Biles, submitted their certificates to prove they were allowed to use this or other banned substance precisely because of health issues and not to improve athletic performance.
The online article is accompanied by copies of several WADA documents which had previously been made public by the hacker group Fancy Bears.
WADA has yet to react to these publications.
