Polish anti-doping authorities said Wednesday that leaked documents linking the country’s biggest sports stars to banned drugs were “fake.”
“In connection with the hacker attack, we would like to inform you that the data is used by cybercriminals for various purposes, including broadly understood disinformation,” Polada said in a statement.
The documents, which began circulating on social media in recent days, connected top athletes with prohibited performance-enhancing substances including anabolic steroids and EPO.
“Fake news discrediting Polish athletes appeared in the public space. None of the mentioned athletes obtained a positive result and none of the dates presented correspond to anti-doping controls,” the agency added.
Doping in sports reared its head again shortly before the Paris Olympics, after revelations by the New York Times and German public broadcaster ARD that Chinese swimmers had tested positive for banned drugs before being allowed to compete unhindered at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
In a previous statement to Polish outlet Przegląd Sportowy the Polish regulator blamed the new cyberattack on “a group supported by the services of an enemy state.” It added that, “The case is currently under investigation and detailed technical analysis.”
Compromising confidential data about drugs in sports has been part of Russia’s hacking MO for years. Back in 2016, the Russian Fancy Bear hacking group breached the World Anti-doping Agency and released confidential information about dozens of superstar athletes.