Lawyer for Peter Bol says West Australian running star set for year-long campaign to clear name in doping ban

The lawyer for banned WA athletics star Peter Bol says the case could drag on for more than a year as the runner says he’s lost faith in the testing system.

Bol is provisionally suspended after testing positive for synthetic erythropoietin (EPO) on October 11, having been told of the result in the last fortnight.

The Commonwealth Games silver medallist maintains his innocence and has acquired the services of Paul Greene, who is the head of Global Sports Advocates.

Greene said there was no end in sight for Bol’s plight, with the B sample to be tested early next month.

“We haven’t been shown any lab documentation, we haven’t been shown anything but a one-page summary letter,” Greene told ABC.

“We’ve been given the opportunity to have a B-sample test which is part of the rules, but that will be done in February and it’s possible we may not get a confirmation on that until March.

“This could drag on for most of 2023 for Pete. It really could because if we have a first hearing in Australia, that’s probably sometime in the spring, I can’t imagine before May assuming the B (sample) confirms the A in their view, then we’re looking at that plus an appeal, which I am sure will happen.

“I’ve had cases like this that have taken 16 months for an athlete to clear their name.”

It comes as Bol has once again spoken, this time questioning the fairness of the system as he doubled down on his claims of innocence.

“Of course I’m saying ‘how is this fair?’ And how is the B-sample going to be fair? I’m innocent, so the process is flawed,” Bol told The Age.

“And I feel this anti-doping system is flawed. I’ve heard before comments on the circuit that so-and-so was being screwed. And that’s a shock ... because you assume the system is fair. And now I’m becoming a victim.

“I can’t control what people think of me, but it’s important to me and I hope they will give me a chance to prove my innocence.”

Greene said he had previous cases where innocent athletes were banned for four years under similar circumstances.

“There are innocent people who get caught up in the system,” he said.

“They’d rather err on the side of getting someone who is innocent and banning them because they don’t want to let someone who is guilty walk free.

“We’re going to fight like hell and we’re going to see what the document package says and we’re going to go to the best experts we can find and have them off their opinions.

“It could well come down to interpretation of date. One expert says one thing, another is saying another thing.”