Culture

Simone Biles Is Standing Strong Against Online Abuse After A Hack Of Olympians’ Medical Records

"Having ADHD and taking medicine for it is nothing to be ashamed of, nothing that I'm afraid to let people know."

by Matilda Dixon-Smith  14 September 2016

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In news that feels ripped straight off an episode of The Americans, the World Anti-Doping Agency announced yesterday that a Russian hacking group has gained access to the confidential medical data and drug-testing results from last month’s Rio Olympics.

The group began leaking confidential information about star Olympic athletes on Monday, and then warned that more data would be leaked in the future. Among the athletes attacked are tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams and four-time Olympic gold medallist/keeper of the keys to our hearts, Simone Biles.

Simone Biles Is So Incredible That Her Celebrity Crush Just Flew To Rio For Her

The hacker group, which goes by the name of “Fancy Bear” (it’s nearly as bad a hacker name as “F Society” from Mr. Robot), revealed Biles’ drug-test records that were categorised under “Theraputic Use Exemption”. The leak has revealed that Biles tested positive for methylphenidate which is known as Ritalin, the drug commonly used to treat ADHD.

True to form, the internet (led by the Egg Avatar Army of anonymous trolls on Twitter) has piled on some vile abuse since the leaks went live, accusing Biles of cheating and using the methylphenidate to improve her performance at the Games.

Leaving aside the distasteful fact that the first three targets of the hackers’ attack and subsequent abuse were black female athletes, the online vitriol against Biles shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the conditions and treatments for ADHD.

But never fear: because Biles is a straight-up legend, she has already fired back a gloriously tough statement on Twitter.

Before that, Simone had released another incredible statement, this one more detailed, explaining that she has had ADHD for her whole life, and that she is an honest athlete who believes in “clean sport”.

I know that you, like me, are not at all surprised that the 19-year-old superstar has stood up for herself in the public forum. This is a woman who is so amazing that International Hunk Treasure Channing Tatum is just a medal stand to her.

Thankfully there are thousands around the world standing behind Biles and the Williams sisters in the aftermath of the vicious attacks.

That list includes the US Gymnastics body, who have just released a statement on Twitter in support of Biles. It confirms that she passed all the necessary drug-testing hurdles to be eligible to compete clean in the Olympics.

Despite what the laws of physics might suggest, this is all natural: