Peter Bol: Olympic hero says he didn’t do anything wrong after positive drug test allegations

WA Olympic hero Peter Bol has spoken at length about how shocked he was when he was told he had allegedly tested positive for a banned substance and has declared “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

The athletics star is battling to prove he is not a drug cheat after it was revealed he tested positive for banned substance EPO in early October.

Bol has been provisionally suspended but is vehemently protesting his innocence, claiming he has never “purchased, researched, possessed, administered, or used synthetic EPO or any other prohibited substance”.

The West Australian has been told the 28-year-old was tested 16 times in 2022, including his positive sample on October 11, with 14 coming back clear and the result of one yet to be returned.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph published on Sunday Bol said he was told of his positive sample when two Sport Integrity Australia officers knocked on his front door earlier this month.

“I was just in complete shock and completely confused,” he told the newspaper, adding that it was almost a relief to release a public statement about his ordeal.

“That was almost a relief because a lot of people didn’t know,” Bol said.

“My family didn’t know and you are kind of holding it all in. People were starting to ask questions about why I wasn’t at training and I didn’t want to lie to them so that was really hard.”

In his interview with the Telegraph Bol said he had no idea how the positive sample came about.

“I absolutely have no idea (how it happened),” he reportedly said.

“I know for sure I have never done any needles or injected anything, not even thought about taking performance enhancing drugs let alone injecting it.

“If it was something like a protein (irregularity) then you can go back and try and think about a protein shake you had at a cafe. My understanding is that it (EPO) is pretty hard to get and that you do it through a syringe which is just outrageous.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, I will stand by my answer, it will never change.”

Under the Australian National Anti-Doping Policy, Sport Integrity Australia officials can test an athlete anywhere, at any time and without warning.

Bol’s team believe the initial test was a “marginal reading” and are now sweating on the results of a B sample.

It comes as Australian track champion Matt Shirvington leapt to the defence of Bol, who rose to prominence during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and warned a lengthy ban for the sport’s poster boy could be a significant blow to the athletics in Australia.