Peter Bol makes reality TV switch after doping drama

The Australian Olympian’s reality TV switch has been revealed - and he’s already one of the favourites to emerge victorious.

Peter Bol of Australia before the start of the Men's 800m Final during the Athletics competition at Alexander Stadium during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on August 7, 2022, in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Australian Olympian Peter Bol is taking his talents to reality TV with news he’s signed up to participate in the 2023 version of Channel 7’s SAS Australia.

The middle-distanced runner is believed to have already left Australia to film the program, alongside fellow high-profile sports stars Anthony Mundine and Boyd Cordner, The Daily Telegraph reports.

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Bol, 29, is expected to be one of the favourites to win this year’s SAS Australia challenge, following in the footsteps of NRL great Sam Burgess who emerged victorious in 2022.

SAS Australia is a show that puts contestants through intense military-style training challenges in the aim of discovering which one would be best suited to join an actual special forces team.

The Daily Telegraph reports the Commonwealth Games silver medallist was paid almost $500,000 by Seven to appear on the program, and also to sit down for an interview with Spotlight that aired on Sunday night.

In that interview Bol discussed his recent doping drama while taking aim at those who leaked the results of his A sample in January, which came back positive to performance enhancing drug EPO.

His B sample subsequently “did not confirm his A sample” – meaning Bol is now free to return to his sport.

However the athlete is still furious at how his A sample became public knowledge, with news of the failed test throwing his name into disgrace and ruining any chance of him being named Young Australian Of The Year.

Peter Bol will be one of the favourites to win SAS Australia. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Roosters great Boyd Cordner will also appear on this year's SAS Australia. Pic: Roosters

Not wanting to directly point fingers at where the leaking of his positive A sample had come from, Bol said he knows for sure it hadn’t come from within his own camp.

Leaving only Athletics Australia or Sports Integrity Australia in the spotlight.

“Well, let’s put it this way... it’s a process of elimination,” Bol said.

“A leak happened somewhere there.

“And I’m 100 per cent certain my team did not leak anything.”

The timing of the news came while Bol was in the running to be named Young Australian of the Year - which Bol declared wasn’t a coincidence.

When asked to explain how the test would have shown a positive result to the banned substance, EPO, Bol said it could be nothing more than a mistake.

“Must be a mistake because I’m 100 per cent certain of my innocence. I’m not sure whether it’s the test or what’s going on, but I’ve never used it, not in my innocence, and the truth will come out eventually,” Bol told Channel 7.

Bol can now get back to competing. Picture: Michael Klein

In the weeks after the positive test came to light, Bol said nobody higher up at Athletics Australia had reached out to him to provide support.

While he said some people from the organisation had contacted him, it wasn’t the people they thought would be in his corner.

In a damning response, Bol said even if the phone rang right now he “wouldn’t even pick it up”.

“I was disappointed in a few people that didn’t (reach out). There’s some people that did but we wanted the people that are in charge to give that support as well. Maybe they’re ringing a different number.

“I wouldn’t even pick up right now,” he added.

In a statement provided to Seven News, Athletics Australia danced around the matter if they were responsible for the A sample coming to light.

“Athletics Australia maintained the confidentiality of the A Sample result and the provisional suspension based on the direction of Sport Integrity Australia,” the statement read.

“At the same time, we were conscious that the provisional suspension would result in Peter being absent from training and his name being omitted from start lists for several high-profile events.

Bol continues to fight. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

“There was no way Athletics Australia was going to mislead our community about the A Sample or concoct a story to explain away Peter’s absence from training or competition.”

Bol’s team have now received the lab pack which contained the positive test, which they’ll now send off to an independent lab in order to clear his name.

Bol’s lawyer Paul Greene went on an explosive attack after the B sample, taking aim at Sports Integrity Australia (SIA) for their handling of it all.

He said the A sample being announced was a “disgrace” and described the process as “unbelievable.”

“That support I think is what got him through the last month,” Greene said.

“The problem is that it should never have been announced. You should never announce it until an athlete is charged.

“We were never shown any lab documents at all, there was no supporting documentation, we never had an opportunity for an expert to look at the A Sample, it’s just a really poor process.

“The USADA is the world leader in this regard – they would never announce a test before a B sample confirmed an A and before a charge letter was issued, it would not happen.

“Not in the United States, under no circumstances. No one would have ever known about this if Pete was an American athlete.”

Originally published as Peter Bol makes reality TV switch after doping drama