- Olympic Games finalist prepares for Paris
- Will host 1500m events but will only compete in the 800m at the Olympics
- Comes after failed drug tests last year
Peter Bol will return to Australia this weekend for the first time since the lifting of his provisional doping ban.
Bol will race in the 1500 meters at the Adelaide Invitational next Saturday evening as he ramps up his campaign for this year’s Olympics.
Bol, a finalist in the 800 meters at the 2021 Tokyo Games, will also compete in the longer distance of 1500 meters at the Maurie Plant meeting in Melbourne on February 15.
The 29-year-old is aiming for a place at the Paris Games in his favorite 800m event, but has opted to race over the 1500m on his return to competition in Australia since his doping saga.
The loaded mile field also includes former world 1500 meter champion Jake Wightman from Great Britain, Kenyan Eliud Kipsang and fellow countrymen Stewart McSweyn, Cameron Myers and Jye Edwards.
Bol has not raced in his home country since his provisional doping ban due to an elevated EPO level was lifted in February last year after his reading was found to be atypical.
Bol was a silver medalist in the 800 meters final at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham
Novak Djokovic races against Bol during An evening with Novak and friends this year at Rod Laver Arena
Bol will race on home soil for the first time since the doping scandal threatened to derail his career in 2023 before he was acquitted
A Sport Integrity Australia investigation concluded in July, with Bol saying it was “a dream come true” after he vehemently declared his innocence.
The finalist of the Tokyo Olympic Games only rode a handful of times in Europe in 2023, mostly in quiet competitions.
He crashed in the opening round of the men’s 800 meters at the World Athletics Championships and was well off the pace in his heat, crossing the line fifth in one minute and 46.75 seconds.
He refused to speak to the media after that race and is reportedly still at odds with Athletics Australia over the handling of the allegations against him.
In December, the new president of Athletics Australia, Jane Flemming, spoke out about the handling of Bol’s drug scandal.
“God forbid that all our other athletes have to go through the same horrible experience that Peter went through,” Flemming said.
“Something definitely broke during that process that needs to be fixed.
“I think a new year and an Olympics (in Paris) are necessary despite what he’s been through, which as I said is terrible, but hopefully he can start looking forward instead of back,” she said.
“For his sake, we wish him and all our athletes nothing but success and trying to clear the path and make the path as good as possible to make that possible.”
Bol was recently spotted at Punt Road helping Richmond with pre-season preparation ahead of the 2024 AFL season.
“The Olympian will help with our rehabilitation group in the coming weeks,” the club wrote.
Bol made his Olympic debut in 2016 and made waves at the Tokyo Games, where he twice broke the national record in the 800 meters and finished fourth in the final, the best result by an Australian at the event in 53 years.