With Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva facing a four-year ban for violating anti-doping rules, the athletic world is once again ringing with calls for drug-free sport. Valieva had finished first at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics but with her ban, she had to vacate her gold medal as well. Similar to Valieva, gymnastics queen Simone Biles faced doping charges in 2016. However, unlike Valieva, her charges weren’t enough to prove her guilty.

Biles was on a roll during the 2016 Rio Olympics and managed to win 4 Gold medals and 1 Bronze medal in her debut Olympics. However, with unprecedented success came allegations of doping. The story took a completely new turn when Russian hackers leaked medical records from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Russian Hackers leaked Simone Biles WAPDA medical record

Following the Rio Olympics 2016, Russian hackers leaked the medical records of Simone Biles, Tennis Players Venus Williams and Serena Williams, and basketball player Elena Delle Donne from the WAPDA database in September 2016. The records showed Biles using methylphenidate, a stimulant that is used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The Olympic champion was forced to come out and admit the usage publicly.

“I have ADHD and I have taken medicine for it since I was a kid“, her tweet read at the start. Before being tested positive for the drug, Biles had already received permission from the International Gymnastics Federation for its usage. The 26-year-old had further stated her belief in the clean sport, writing, “Please know I believe in clean sport, have always followed the rules, and will continue to do so as fair play is critical to sport and is very important to me“. As reports suggested the drug wouldn’t have given any edge to the gymnast, Biles went a step extra in making her stand clear.

Gymnastics queen embraced her flaws

Medical experts suggest that methylphenidate, known by brand names such as Ritalin and Adderall, enhances the function of neurotransmitters in the brain, and thus gives no athletic edge to Biles. The Final Five phenom had even filed for a therapeutic use exemption which allowed her to use a prohibited drug. And making her voice known, Biles publicly embraced her flaws in the next tweet.

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“Having ADHD, and taking medicine for it is nothing to be ashamed of nothing that I’m afraid to let people know”, an enraged Biles wrote. The 4x Olympic Gold medalist shut down all the allegations and embraced her medical problem publicly. While World missed her presence at the 2020 Olympics, Biles is once again gearing up for a multiple gold-winning campaign.

The post “Have Taken Medicine for It”: Accused of Doping, Simone Biles Had to Justify Her Methylphenidate Consumption in 2016 appeared first on EssentiallySports.



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