“Finally, Russia’s many doping and obstruction sins will now get some of the punishment they richly deserve,” said Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, a Russian whistleblower who helped expose Russia’s doping non-compliance. “For far too long, Russia has weaponized doping fraud and state-sponsored criminal activity as a tool of foreign policy.” This came in 2019 when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned Russia from all major sporting events for four years. But now, five years later, a Russian embassy has turned the tables. And the controversial spotlight is on Simone Biles and Serena Williams.

The world of sports is a beautiful place where the boundaries of human potential are pushed. However, there are often shadows of darkness and controversies. While the WADA uncovered one in 2019, the Russian Embassy in South Africa highlighted certain findings from 2016. And these inadvertently pointed fingers at Biles and Williams for the USA’s “state-sponsored doping system.”

Per the embassy’s post on X, “In 2016, WADA documents were leaked on the Internet, revealing that both Serena Williams and Simone Biles used doping – under the so-called ‘Therapeutic Use Exemptions’ (TUEs).” TUEs are permissions given by anti-doping agencies for the use of substances for legitimate medical reasons and a prior application sent to avoid unfair advantage. But why did the Russian Embassy bring this up now?

It’s come in response to the recent doping scandal in Spain, where the country’s anti-doping agency, CELAD, has been involved in concealing positive doping tests from 2017 to 2022. Bringing up Simone Biles and Serena Williams’ TUEs, in addition to cases in Norway, the post read, “Does anybody want to investigate into ‘state-sponsored doping system’ in these countries? We bet lots of findings await discovery there.” The embassy stated that Serena Williams received TUEs for corticosteroids and a narcotic painkiller in 2014 and 2015, the latter being before the French Open finals.

Serena Williams defended her use in 2018. She said, “I have never tested positive. I have always gotten a TUE. I’ve played for over 20 years, and I’ve always been very honest. That’s one thing I take pride in.” And as for Simone Biles? She was reported to have tested positive during the Rio Olympics for methylphenidate, a substance on the banned list. However, it is important to note that this post comes despite Simone Biles explaining the reason behind the use of her medication.

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The reason for Simone Biles’ use of medication

Back in 2016, according to ABC News, there was a leak of confidential medical records from the WADA’s database that revealed Simone Biles’ use of methylphenidate under TUE. WADA requires athletes to file for a therapeutic use exemption, allowing the use of a prohibited drug if there’s a medical diagnosis. Biles had permission from the International Gymnastics Federation to use methylphenidate.

Simone Biles took to X, sharing, “I have ADHD, and I have taken medicine for it since I was a kid. 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.” Due to the leak, Biles was forced to address her medical condition publicly. She later reiterated in a tweet, “Having ADHD and taking medicine for it is nothing to be ashamed of, nothing that I’m afraid to let people know.” 

Read More: “To Say That I Was Doping Doesn’t Make Any Sense”: Gymnastics GOAT Simone Biles Once Reasoned Haters Throwing Dirt on Her Career Are Simply Jealous