Peter Bol’s lawyer has come out and shredded the process behind the star athlete’s A sample being made public knowledge.
Bol’s world was flipped upside down in January when results of an October test returned a positive reading for EPO, the announcement meant the Aussie athlete was suspended from training and competition.
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Almost a month later the 800m track star has had his suspension lifted after his B sample “did not confirm” his A sample.
Bol, 28, maintained he had not taken any drug, having reportedly passed “20 tests” after the positive sample in January.
“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.”
It’s that last remark that has left Bol’s legal team furious, with his lawyer Paul Greene condemning the news being made public without the 28-year-old even being informed.
“The sun is shining for Peter Bol. I knew he was telling the truth, he had never taken this there was something wrong with this test,” Greene said on Perth’s ABC Radio.
“The fact that they announced this is a disgrace. The fact that they didn’t keep this confidential, he was never charged … he was never shown a lab document. He was told he was positive and then it was announced.
“It’s unbelievable what happened. They should be embarrassed by the way this case was handled.”
Greene said the news of the B Sample while being good news for his client, had brought a mixed bag of emotions.
“He’s elated, relieved, he’s upset. He doesn’t understand what’s happened to him. A lot of feelings, there’s a lot of emotion for all of us,” he said.
But it was once again the process behind the announcement that Greene took serious issue with as he called out Sport Integrity Australia.
“The problem is that it should never have been announced. You should never announce it until an athlete is charged,” Greene said.
“You have to have an A and a B to actually issue a charging letter. We were never shown any lab documents at all. There was no supporting documentation.
“They announced it without sharing any documentation with us. It’s a really poor process and in my opinion they need to redo and relook at their processes.
“USADA is the world leader in this regard, under no circumstances would this happen in the USA. No one would have ever known about this if Pete was an American athlete.”
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 statement read.
“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.
