2016 Olympic Games

Thirsty Russians Leak Innocuous TUEs for Michelle Carter, DeAnna Price

Thirsty Russians Leak Innocuous TUEs for Michelle Carter, DeAnna Price

In their apparent ongoing quest to prove the rest of the sports world takes drugs, too, Russian hackers Fancy Bears released a second batch of Therapeutic U

Sep 14, 2016 by Dennis Young
Thirsty Russians Leak Innocuous TUEs for Michelle Carter, DeAnna Price
In their apparent ongoing quest to prove the rest of the sports world takes drugs, too, Russian hackers Fancy Bears released a second batch of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) granted to athletes by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Two American throwers, DeAnna Price and Michelle Carter, were named in the newest documents.

Price's TUE for prednisone expired four days before the hammer final, in which she finished eighth. Prednisone is typically prescribed for allergies or breathing problems.

Two documents tied to Olympic shot put gold medalist and American record holder Michelle Carter were also in the hack: a rejected application for a TUE for "glucocorticoids and other beta-2 agonists," and then a TUE for the same. The specific drugs were methylprednisolone--usually prescribed for inflammatory diseases--and then what appears to be an asthma inhaler containing fluticasone furoate and vilanterol.

Glucocorticoids are only banned in-competition; everything in those two documents is a glucocorticoid except for Carter's inhaler. So athletes filed paperwork to take prescription drugs that are allowed outside of competition, and to get an asthma inhalers.