Sunrise host and former track and field star Matt Shirvington has flogged the ‘flawed system’ that saw Olympic sprinter Peter Bol sensationally suspended from Australian athletics after returning a false positive for a performance-enhancing drug.
Bol was provisionally suspended in January after news broke that he had returned a positive A sample for synthetic EPO during an out-of-competition drug test.
The Commonwealth Games medalist firmly maintained his innocence throughout the eight-month ordeal as Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) retested the samples.
This week, SIA announced that Bol’s case had been closed after a subsequent independent analysis of his B sample produced a false positive.
Bol announced the good news on Tuesday with a message on social media.
‘I’ve been acquitted. It was a false positive as I’ve been saying all along! The news from Sport Integrity Australia today was a dream come true,” he tweeted.
Shirvo told Sunrise viewers on Wednesday that although the 800-meter sprinter was cleared, there would be a “blemish on his reputation” forever.
“Peter’s name has been dragged through the mud and we’re all familiar with mud sticks. Now there are many questions that need to be answered,” he said.
“Why did he test positive in the first place? Should test protocols change? And the big one, who leaked his A-sample results before his B-sample was revealed? And why?’
Peter Bol deserved better. He was let down on every level and apologies alone will not save him. The damage has been done. Damage to his reputation, his mental health, his family, friends and fans. Damage to the sport that I and millions of fans love.
‘A few weeks ago, Peter Bol was tested for drugs twice in one day. At 6am before a race and again after. He’s doing his part.
“In the race to remove the stain from his reputation, Peter must catch up due to a flawed system and organization that has failed him and Australian sport.”
The Sunrise host said professional athletes have a duty to keep elite sports drug-free, clean and credible by conducting random drug tests every day.
You provide your personal details, phone numbers and addresses, and if anything changes at any time, you choose to sleep with a partner, adjust travel arrangements, be delayed at work or have a family emergency , then you have to let the drug testers know in advance,” he said.
“You can get a knock on the door today or tomorrow and soon find yourself spilling a blood sample on your dinner table or peeing in a cup in front of a complete stranger. I know I’ve done it many times.’
Announcing his waiver on Tuesday, Bol said no athlete should go through what he went through this year.
“I am pleased to see that WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) has agreed to review the EPO testing process to prevent future false positives,” he tweeted.
‘My focus is now on the World Athletics Championships that are coming up in Hungary. I am in shape and I feel good. I appreciate all the support I’ve received.”
Fans were quick to throw their support behind the athlete.
“The damage has been done. Damage to his reputation, his mental health, his family, friends and fans. Damage to the sport that I and millions of fans love,” Matt Shirvington (pictured) told viewers
Peter Bol (pictured at the 2021 Tokyo Games) said news of his exemption was a ‘dream come true’ but no athlete should have to go through what he went through this year
“Australia is still behind you mate. I’m so sorry you had to go through this,” one man said.
Congratulations Peter. You shouldn’t have waited 8 months for your exemption, but I’m happy for you,” another woman wrote.
‘Great news. Now show them how to do it and blow everyone out of the water at the Olympics and World Cup,” a third shared.
A statement from Sport Integrity Australia revealed that they had used several laboratories and several experts from the World Anti Doping Authority to analyze Bol’s A and B blood samples.
The results indicated that the A sample should have been negative.
“The further analysis resulted in differing expert opinions on whether the sample was reported positive or negative, and the A sample was reported as negative,” SIA said.
As a result, Sport Integrity Australia has taken the decision not to commit an anti-doping rule violation for this monster. The investigation into this sample has been completed.’
A Commonwealth Games silver medalist, Bol remained steadfast in his innocence when Sport Integrity Australia retested his samples earlier this year
Bol, who finished fourth in the 800m final at the Tokyo Olympics, has returned to running in Europe ahead of the Paris Olympics
WADA acknowledged Sport Integrity Australia’s announcement and pledged to “undertake a review of current EPA processes” in lieu of the incident.
“While we have no reason to question the validity of the analytical method used for recombinant EPO, WADA will review the current review process in light of the specifics of this case,” the agency said in a statement.
Bol, who finished fourth in the 800m final at the Tokyo Olympics, has returned to running in Europe ahead of the Paris Olympics.
The Olympic sprinter maintained his innocence throughout the eight-month ordeal, ordering two separate B samples to be analyzed to try and clear his name.
“To be clear, I have NEVER in my life purchased, researched, possessed, administered or used synthetic EPO or any other banned substance,” he tweeted.
“I keep hoping that the trial will exonerate me. My career, hopes and dreams are literally on the line for the next few weeks, and I ask everyone to respect my privacy as I remain suspended for now.”
EPO is a performance-enhancing drug that increases the body’s ability to produce red blood cells and allows it to use more oxygen.