Australian Olympic middle-distance runner Peter Bol is pleading innocence after failing a check for a infamous performance-enhancing drug.
Bol, among the many world’s greatest 800m runners, has been provisionally suspended from athletics and may very well be stripped of a state Younger Australian of the 12 months award.
Australia’s nationwide 800m document holder examined optimistic to the banned drug erythropoietin, often called EPO, final October.
The 28-year-old says he was shocked when informed of the check outcome final week.
“I’m harmless and haven’t taken this substance as I’m accused,” Bol posted on Twitter.
“I ask that everybody in Australia consider me.”
Bol, arguably the nation’s highest-profile observe athlete, has been provisionally suspended by Athletics Australia.
The twin Olympian and Commonwealth Video games silver medalist mentioned his “profession, hopes and desires” hinge on the results of a B pattern from the October check which might be identified subsequent month.
‘In whole shock’
“Once I discovered final week that the A Pattern from a urine check taken on October 11 had examined optimistic for artificial EPO, I used to be in whole shock,” he wrote.
“To be clear, I’ve NEVER in my life bought, researched, possessed, administered, or used artificial EPO or another prohibited substance.
“I voluntarily turned over my laptop computer, iPad and cellphone to Sport Integrity Australia to show this.
“I’ve requested the evaluation of my B Pattern which is able to happen in February.
“Given the subjective nature of decoding this type of check, I’ve requested that the lab carry out a secondary affirmation.
Above all, I stay hopeful that the method will exonerate me.
“My profession, hopes and desires are actually hanging within the steadiness over these subsequent few weeks.”
Provisionally banned
The Sudanese-born runner may be stripped of his West Australian Younger Australian of the 12 months award. He was a candidate for the nationwide award to be introduced in Canberra subsequent week.
Athletics Australia provisionally banned Bol from formal coaching and competitors at any stage, the group’s chief government Peter Bromley mentioned.
“There are procedural equity and investigative concerns… at this level it might be inappropriate for Athletics Australia or anybody else to take a position concerning the particular particulars or pre-empt any final result,” Bromley mentioned in an announcement.
“Nevertheless what we are able to say is that studying about this hostile analytical discovering was each extraordinarily regarding and fully out of the blue.”
Bol, who emigrated to Australia together with his household when he was eight years previous, competed on the 2016 Rio Olympics and the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, when he positioned fourth within the 800m ultimate.
In Tokyo, Bol broke the nationwide 800m document en path to being the primary Australian in 52 years to succeed in the Olympic ultimate in his pet occasion.
Bol lowered his nationwide 800m benchmark at a Diamond League meet in Paris in June final yr after which gained Commonwealth Video games silver over the gap in Birmingham in August.
-AAP
