Sports Integrity Australia yet to interview Peter Bol over drug test investigation

Despite being cleared to return to the track, Sport Integrity Australia is yet to interview Peter Bol, as the investigation into an irregular drug test continues to weigh on him.

Peter Bol has yet to be interviewed by Sports Integrity Australia as the ongoing stress of the drugs scandal continues to take its toll.

The Tokyo Olympics hero last week pulled out of his comeback race in the US because of a minor injury and is currently taking time out with his family in Perth.

Bol had his provisional suspension for returning a positive A sample for EPO lifted in February which cleared him to return to the track.

Australia‘s 800m record holder had planned to make his comeback in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday in a unique 600m race through the streets of Centennial Olympic Park.

Bol’s coach Justin Rinaldi said a minor groin injury had forced him to pull back in training as the toll of the ongoing drugs investigation began to impact.

Sports Integrity Australia is yet to interview Peter Bol over an irregular drug test in October 2022. Picture: Getty Images.

“He has had a little bit of a groin injury, we‘ve held him back a bit and we just want to get that right before he starts racing,” Rinaldi said.

“We want to make sure he is 100 per cent right before he starts racing.

“Pete pushed a bit too hard when he came back after having six or seven weeks off because he was excited, then he got this little niggle and then the ongoing investigation sort of got him down.

“Actually for the first time in this whole saga it has started to weigh on him.”

Rinaldi confirmed he had spoken to SIA investigators recently as they continued to look into the circumstances around how Bol produced an irregular finding for EPO from a drug test in October last year.

The fact they have yet to interview Bol and are keeping the investigation open despite the B sample not confirming the original test continues to weigh on the 29-year-old‘s mind.

Bol‘s coach Justin Rinaldi admits the ongoing investigation has taken its toll on the star. Picture: Getty Images.

“I think Pete thought in his mind they would interview him and that would be to close it off but now they are saying to him, we will do an interview but it doesn‘t mean we will close our investigation,” Rinaldi said.

Bol is expecting to fly to Europe next month to prepare for the world championships in Budapest, Hungary, in August although Rinaldi warned the priority was the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“We‘re definitely targeting the world champs but the big goal is Paris, everything we do is geared towards Paris,” Rinaldi said.

“We won’t go there (Budapest) unless we think he is a finalist because that is the standard we have set.

“But in saying that you can‘t afford not to go to Europe because you can’t have a year off. He needs to be racing and the Olympic qualifying period opens on July 8 so it would be good to get the qualifier and then come back for the Australian season not chasing qualifiers.”

Bol‘s training partner Joseph Deng, the former national 800m record holder, is also on the comeback trail and is set to race in Europe in the coming weeks.

Originally published as Sports Integrity Australia yet to interview Peter Bol over drug test investigation