How Bol has navigated a tough past 12 months and is now on the final dash for gold

Aussie fan favourite Peter Bol has just four months until he is back in the blocks on the Olympic stage, but the lead into Paris hasn’t been all smooth sailing despite it being his ‘biggest year yet.’

Wearing the Australian singlet again is what’s driving Peter Bol as he approaches the biggest four months of his career.

While there were times over the past 12 months where his love for his country and sport may have waived, the Tokyo Olympic 800m finalist feels like he’s back mentally and physically, ready to do what he loves.

With the drugs scandal which turned his career upside down last year in the rearview mirror, Bol is excited about plotting his course to the Paris Olympics.

When asked about his biggest motivation, he said: “The country is driving me.

“To get back to competing for the country, competing for myself, competing for the family that’s always been driving me consistently throughout my whole career.

“I always felt like that from the moment I started. Running was obviously for my family and then when I made my first Australian team, I was like, you can bring a whole community with you. So yeah, that’s always kind of kept me there.”

He has already ticked off some major milestones in 2024 and says there are more to come in Paris.

Can Bol claim gold in Paris? Picture: Getty Images

“It’s all happening, I turned 30, got engaged. It’s an Olympic year. It’s gonna be the biggest year yet,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to it. Paris will be awesome – my third Olympic Games, it’s crazy.”

Bol will have his first race for the year at the Stawell Gift on Easter Monday when he competes in a 1000m handicap event.

The following week he will compete at the Olympic trials in Adelaide where he will be looking to lock in his spot for Paris.

A hamstring injury forced Bol to pull out of last month’s Maurie Plant Meet but he is confident he’s done enough work to be competitive straight away.

“I actually feel pretty strong physically and mentally,” he said. “I’ve been in the gym probably about three times a week, building that strength, building my body back up.

“I usually come out pretty well off injuries, because it gives you that opportunity to rebuild yourself back in the gym and build that strength.

“Experience is basically everything in our sport, while it (the season) has been interrupted, I was actually still training about six times a week, it was just about reducing intensity.

“As I said to my coach, let’s just have a long off-season. The hammy wouldn’t allow me to go quick but it still allowed me to do the distance. I have to build up that fast paced stuff as it’s the 800 not the 1500 but I’ve got time to get there.”

Bol has been impressed with the rising standard of middle-distance running in Australia with former triathlete Peyton Craig being the new pacesetter in the 800m.

Could Peyton Craig follow in Bol’s footsteps? Picture: Getty Images

“It’s been exciting watching the 800, there’s been some really special times,” he said. “With Peyton Craig running pretty well it’s going to be a competitive nationals, probably my most competitive one.

“I don’t think I’ll be rusty, I’ll back myself up and I think I’ll be fine for nationals. Come nationals, I’ll be able to prove that.”

He has also put on ice any talk that Paris will be his farewell gig.

“It’s definitely changed a bit,” Bol said. “I just understand how special the sport is, and how much of a privilege it is. I think the moment I’m not competitive enough, that’s the moment I pick up my spikes. At the moment. I feel competitive, I feel strong and fit so I will keep going.”

Bol was at Melbourne’s Tan running track on Thursday for the unveiling of two new digital clocks which display the fastest times around the famous course. In the future joggers will be able to sync the clocks with data from personal devices and apps like Strava.

The current record holders are four-time Olympian Craig Mottram with a time of 10min08sec while Olympian Jessica Hull is the fastest female with 11:31.

Bol, who was a regular around the Tan when he lived in Richmond, has a PB of 10:57.

Originally published as How Bol has navigated a tough past 12 months and is now on the final dash for gold