Justin Rose latest golfer named in Russian doping leaks

Olympic Champion Justin Rose is the second British golfer to be named in the Fancy Bears Olympic hacking scandal. Named by the Fancy Bears hacktivist group, Justin Rose joins a list of Olympians including fellow golfer Charley Hull, runner Mo Farah, cyclists Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins, and Spanish tennis superstar Rafa Nadal. 

Russian hackers Fancy Bear, bitter at Russia’s exclusion from the Olympic Games over systematic government backed doping, hacked WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency. They have released medical records involving the use of TUE’s - Therapeutic Use Exemptions. 

These are given to athletes when they have an injury or problem that can only be treated by a drug otherwise on the banned list. None of the athletes have done anything wrong, however the Russian believe it to be proof of athletes bending the rules to allow for performance enhancing drug use.

Rose, the winner of golf's first gold medal in 112 years, was prescribed Prednisolone, an derivative of the more commonly known cortisol. An anti-inflammatory drug, it was prescribed for the back injury that caused him to pull out the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May. That injury that meant Rose only played 4 times between the Players Championship and the Olympics. 

Rose said this of his back injury during the Olympics “I think the only thing that’s held me back really from winning this year has been injury. It’s been a little bit of a slow year for me. I haven’t been able to be up to my normal speed in terms of practice.”

Lets hope with the Ryder Cup coming up Justin doesn’t let this bother him.  A fully fit Justin Rose playing with a nation's pride is a potent force.  Imagine how good he would be with a whole continent cheering him on?