Peter Bol’s doping suspension lifted after B-sample does not match
The 800m Olympic finalist has been exonerated after results show an atypical finding between the two samples
Photo by:
Kevin Morris
On Monday evening, Commonwealth Games 800m medallist Peter Bol’s provisional suspension for doping was lifted after his B-sample did not match his A-sample, meaning he can return to competition immediately.
Last month, the Australian 800m Olympic finalist made headlines as he returned a positive result for the banned substance erythropoietin (EPO) from a urine sample taken in October.
Throughout the process, Bol stressed his innocence and said he would do whatever was necessary to clear his name. “I told everyone that I was innocent and asked everyone in Australia to believe me and let the process play out,” Bol wrote on Twitter, as he faced the possibility of a four-year ban.
Bol voluntarily handed over his laptop, iPad and phone to Sport Integrity Australia to help prove his innocence and paid $1,200 just to have his B-sample tested.
During the process, a group of Norwegian scientists raised their doubts about Peter Bol’s positive A-sample, saying the testing for EPO by the World Anti-Doping Agency remains subjective, especially in cases such as Bol’s, which delivered a “borderline” positive result.
“I was hopeful that the process would exonerate me,” Bol wrote. “I am relieved to report that it did.”
— Peter Bol OLY (@pbol800) February 14, 2023
Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) said the suspension was lifted after Bol’s B-sample produced an “atypical finding,” which is not the same as a negative test result; it’s a report from a WADA-accredited laboratory that requires further investigation.
Despite Bol being allowed to return to training, Sports Integrity Australia (SIA) released a statement saying that Bol’s case remains open, and the SIA will now seek for a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory to obtain a second opinion from an expert on the WADA EPO Working Group, which provides expert advice and analysis concerning the overall application of EPO testing.
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