Peter Bol says he has not returned a positive B Sample, suspension lifted

A shocking new development in the Peter Bol doping saga has unfolded, with the 800m star releasing a statement today.

Peter Bol at Tokyo 2020. Photo - Getty Images

Peter Bol is free to race again after a shock positive drug test rocked the athletics world in January.

Bol, who was nominated for Australian of the Year after he was the first Australian runner in 53 years to make it into an Olympic 800m final, was provisionally banned after returning a positive result to EPO back in October 2022 when tested out of competition.

EPO has been banned as a performance-enhancing drug since the early 1990s, and was infamously used by Lance Armstrong as part of a sophisticated doping program through the late 1990s and early 2000s, during which he won 7 consecutive Tour De France titles.

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Bol, 28, maintained he had not taken any drug, having reportedly passed “20 tests” after the positive sample in January.

A positive initial sample, known as an A Sample, provisionally suspends competitors until a second confirmation sample is used, known as a B Sample.

In a statement on Tuesday, Bol confirmed that his B Sample “did not confirm my A Sample”.

Peter Bol has fervently maintained his innocence throughout the saga. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

“Last month, I told everyone that I was innocent and asked that everyone in Australia believe me and let the process play out,” Bol said.

“I was hopeful that the process would exonerate me.

“This morning, I am relieved to report that it did.

“My provisional suspension has been lifted by Sport Integrity Australia.

“The relief I am feeling is hard to describe.

“I appreciate the support I have received from my family, my team and from so many people from Australia and around the world.

“The last month has been nothing less than a nightmare.

“I wish that the results of my A Sample had not been leaked, but there is nothing I can do about that.”

Peter Bol’s return to action timeline is still unclear after Sport Integrity Australia lifted his provisional suspension. Steph Chambers/Getty Images/AFP

Bol reiterated his innocence in the statement, but did not commit to a timeline of a return to competition, with the Adelaide Invitational kicking off the Australian athletics season for the year this weekend.

“To say it one more time: I am innocent and have not taken this substance as I was accused,” he said.

“I have NEVER in my life purchased, researched, possessed, administered or used synthetic EPO or any other Prohibited Substance, and never will.”

Bol’s lawyer Paul Greene, speaking on ABC Radio Perth, said: “I told everyone he was innocent and I turned out to be right.”

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

Peter Bol was the 2023 WA Young Australian of the Year. Photo - Salty Dingo

Bol described the last month as a “nightmare”. Photo - Instagram

Greene said Sports Integrity Australia should be “embarassed” by what’s happened, and that Peter is “elated, relieved, upset” and incredibly grateful that “everyone stood by him.”

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

“The problem is that it should never have been announced,” he said.

“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 reagrd - 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.”

Greene hinted at the possibility of legal action, telling host Nadia Mitsopolous that he had a similar case previously in Mexican fencer Paola Pliego, who launched legal action after a false positive from a lab in Mexico City cost her a place at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

“These things are possible, but I don’t want to say we’ve decided anything as yet,” said Greene.

With his family fleeing the Sudanese Civil War when he was four and migrating to Australia in 2002, Bol rose to prominence at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 after winning his 800m semi-final and finishing just outside the medals in fourth in the final.

He set a new Australian 800m record in the semi-final, clocking 1:44:13 to take the honour off his training partner Joseph Deng who had owned the record for three years.

Bol then lowered his own record at the Paris Diamond League in June last year to 1:44:00, proving he was one of the world’s best middle-distance runners.

He then went on to make the final of the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, before winning the silver medal in the 800m at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The question has to be now with Peter Bol how was the A sample result leaked, or in other terms before the process was finished. This was costly for Peter. He was booked to go to Canberra and very likely was going to be named Young Australian Of The Year before the news broke.

— Luke Dennehy (@LukeDennehy) February 14, 2023

After his efforts in Tokyo, stalwart Olympics writer Phil Lutton described him as “the most important story of the Games.”

“What he represents, where he has come from, and where he is going is of immense cultural significance,” Lutton said.

Sport Integrity Australia confirmed the results in a statement, saying that they were from a WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) accredited laboratory.

“The results of the Part A sample analysis for the Athlete was an Adverse Analytical Finding (positive doping test) for rEPO.

“The results of the Part B Sample analysis is an Atypical Finding (ATF) for recombinant EPO.

“An ATF is not the same as a negative test result.

“An ATF is a report from a WADA-accredited laboratory which requires further investigation as provided by the World Anti-Doping Code.

“Recombinant EPO...is classified as a Non-Specified Substance under the World Anti-Doping Code...and is prohibited at all times.

“Recombinant EPO is a synthetic substance and is not produced naturally by the human body.

“Pursuant to the relevant provisions in the Australian National Anti-Doping Policy 2021 and World Anti-Doping Code 2021, the Mandatory Provisional Suspension which was imposed on the Athlete following the AAF from the Part A Sample on 10 January 2023 is lifted.

“The investigation into the matter remains ongoing.

“It is not possible to provide a timeframe at this point.

“Any decision made by Sport Integrity Australia is subject to appeal from the Athletics Integrity Unit and WADA in according with the Australian National Anti-Doping Policy 2021 and World Anti-Doping Code 2021.

“Sport Integrity Australia is not currently in a position to comment further on the matter.”

News.com.au have contacted Athletics Australia for comment.