The British triathlete Alistair Brownlee is among the latest athletes to have their use of therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) leaked online.
Brownlee was revealed to have used acetazolamide, which is on the Wada banned list that covers diuretics and masking agents but is also used for treating altitude sickness, on 10 October 2013 and again on 11 October 2013. His TUE was issued four days after the last time he used the drug, on 17 October 2013 and authorised by UK Anti-doping’s Anne Sargent.
Brownlee said last week that he was unconcerned about his data being leaked and admitted that he had the TUE. “I’ve got one thing for when I climbed Kilimanjaro so we’re not particularly worried about it, if it comes out it comes out,” he said but pointed out he was concerned that the hackers could breach security systems. “It’s exceptionally worrying that they can get into that situation and access private medical records.”
I have had one TUE in my career in October 2013 for Diamox to treat altitude sickness while climbing Kilimanjaro https://t.co/m4eghBXTLf
— Alistair Brownlee (@AliBrownleetri) October 3, 2016
He added on Twitter on Monday: “Slightly embarrassing that someone as fit as me suffered from altitude sickness but thankfully Jonny Brownlee was there to carry me.”
British Triathlon issued a statement in response to the leak: “Alistair Brownlee was granted his only TUE for treatment of altitude sickness in whilst climbing Kilimanjaro in October 2013. This was an out of competition trek after the triathlon season had finished.
“Let’s be very clear; athletes who have a TUE on their record have followed the rules based on a specific medical requirement. We can say with absolute confidence that our athletes have nothing to hide. This attack on the integrity of athletes is shocking. We strongly condemn actions of this nature and continue to be in close contact with UKAD and Wada in regards to this matter.”
Also on the latest list released by Fancy Bears is the New Zealand rower Mahe Drysdale, who received four TUEs between April 2015 and August 2016 for fluocortolone which is a substance used in the treatment of hemorrhoids.
Slightly embarrassing that someone as fit as me suffered from altitude sickness but thankfully @jonny_brownlee was there to carry me https://t.co/APg9uGMqQu
— Alistair Brownlee (@AliBrownleetri) October 3, 2016
The Australian Emily Seebohm, who won Olympic swimming gold medals in 2008 and 2012, was also named as having used prednisolone in May 2009.
There is no suggestion that those named have done anything wrong, as all the TUEs publicised by Fancy Bears have been granted approval by anti-doping authorities.
