Olympics hero Peter Bol claims drug test was leaked so he wouldn’t win Young Australian of the Year

Australian Olympic 800m sprinter Peter Bol believes his positive drug test was leaked “at the perfect time” to keep him from winning the Young Australian of the Year award, insisting his opportunity was “stolen”.

Bol, 29, was sacked by Athletics Australia for failing an out-of-competition drug test in January, vowing to clear his name.

While Bol’s provisional suspension was lifted two weeks ago following an outlier finding in his B sample, Sport Integrity Australia’s investigation is still ongoing.

In an interview with 7NEWS Spotlight, which will air on Sunday night, he said we were devastated by one of the most immediate consequences of that positive test.

Bol, who finished fourth in the 800 meters at the Tokyo Olympics, was a strong contender for the Young Australian of the Year Award but did not attend after the positive result.

Bol, 29, was sacked by Athletics Australia for failing an out-of-competition drug test in January, vowing to clear his name.

“Perfectly timed, just days before the Young Australian of the Year awards…I mean let’s get one thing straight, we were never guaranteed to win Young Australian of the Year but…strong contender.” Bull. said.

‘I mean… being named Western Australian Youth of the Year was just, it’s very inspiring to be around so many great people.

And I think they stole that from us. I mean, there was lunch with the Prime Minister. We were robbed of being there, meeting with the Prime Minister.

“And when you sit in that room, I remember being in Western Australia, you sit in a room with such passionate people, and it just inspires you.”

Bol has pointed the finger at Athletics Australia and Sports Integrity Australia when it comes to the identity of the alleged leaker.

‘Well, let’s put it this way… it’s a process of elimination.

“There was a leak somewhere in there,” Bol said.

And I’m 100 percent sure my team didn’t leak anything.

Bol’s coach, Justin Rinaldi, believes Athletics Australia chief executive Peter Bromley should be sacked pending the outcome of an investigation into the leak.

Peter Bol, who finished fourth in the 800m at the Tokyo Olympics, was a strong contender for the Young Australian of the Year Award but did not attend after the positive result.

Rinaldi does not believe that the test result was leaked by his team.

“I don’t know what we would have to gain by leaking that information because he has lost a lot from this,” Rinaldi said.

‘If we think it’s a good idea, we’d be stupid. The information that came out was quite detailed. People knew about the number of tests. I got a phone call on Saturday telling me that result B had been different from sample A.’

On February 14, SIA issued a statement confirming that the investigation into Bol’s case is still ongoing and no time frame has been set for its completion.

Bol says drug test result leak happened at ‘perfect timing’

According to the statement, Bol’s positive and outlier test results were for recombinant EPO, a synthetic substance that is not produced naturally by the human body.

Bol, is anxiously awaiting a date for his hearing with Sports Integrity Australia regarding the conflicting test results. His lawyer, Paul Greene, will travel from the United States to represent him.

Meanwhile, Bol will undergo kidney tests to determine if his body naturally produces high levels of EPO. This follows one borderline positive finding, four negative results, and one outlier finding that led to the lifting of his five-week suspension.

There are also reports that Bol’s siblings may undergo the same tests to investigate possible genetic factors.

“I have absolutely nothing to hide,” Bol says in the interview.

I am no longer running to be the best in the world. I’m running to clear my name.