It won’t be an accident: Russian doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova fears for life after Wada hack
The former 800m runner and her husband Vitaly Stepanov helped lift the lid on Russia’s alleged state-sponsored doping programme ahead of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games
Russian doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova said Monday she and her husband fear for their lives after an attempt was made to hack her World Anti-Doping Agency records.
Stepanova, who with husband Vitaly Stepanov helped lift the lid on Russia’s alleged state-sponsored doping programme, has been living in hiding in the US since the crisis exploded last year.
The former 800m runner said she and her husband now faced fresh concerns for their safety following the hack attempt, which was confirmed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) on Saturday.
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“If something happens to us, you should know that it is not an accident,” Stepanova said.
Her warning comes six months after two former senior officials with Russia’s Anti-Doping Agency (Rusada) died suddenly in February.
Stepanova, who had hoped to compete in Rio as an independent athlete only to be denied by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said she also believed doping was rife at the Olympics.
“I am certain there are a number of athletes taking part in the Olympic Games who have in preparation used PEDS (performance enhancing drugs). Doping is not only a problem in Russia,” Stepanova said.
