Sunrise host and former track star Matt Shirvington has lashed the ‘flawed system’ that saw Olympic sprinter Peter Bol sensationally suspended by Australian Athletics after he returned a false positive for a performance enhancing drug.
Bol was provisionally suspended in January after news broke he had returned a positive A sample for synthetic EPO during an out-of-competition drug test.
The Commonwealth Games medalist strenuously maintained his innocence during the eight-month ordeal as Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) retested the samples.
This week, SIA announced Bol’s case had been closed after a subsequent independent analysis of his B Sample returned a false positive.
Bol announced the good news with a message on social media on Tuesday.
‘I have been exonerated. It was a false positive like I have said all along! The news from Sport Integrity Australia today was a dream come true,’ he tweeted.
Shirvo told Sunrise viewers on Wednesday that even though the 800m sprinter had been exonerated there would forever be a ‘stain on his reputation’.
‘Peter’s name has been dragged through the mud and we all know mud sticks. Now there are plenty of questions that need to be answered,’ he said.
‘Why did he test positive in the first place? Do testing protocols need to change? And the big one, who leaked the result of his A-sample before his B-sample had been revealed? And why?’
‘Peter Bol deserved better. He was let down at every level and a mere apology isn’t going to cut it. The damage is 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 got drug tested twice in one day. At 6am before a race and again after it. He’s doing his bit.
‘In the race to remove the stain from his reputation, Peter is left to play catch up due to a flawed system and an organisation that have let him and Australian sport down.’
The Sunrise host said professional athletes had an obligation to keep elite sport drug-free, clean and credible by complying with random drug tests every day.
‘You give over your personal details, phone numbers and addresses, and if there is any change at any time, you choose to sleep over at a mate’s place, tweak travel arrangements, get delayed at work or with a family emergency, you have to let the drug testers know ahead of time,’ he said.
‘You could receive a knock at the door today or tomorrow and quickly find yourself giving a blood sample on your dining table or peeing into a cup in front of a complete stranger. I know I’ve done it many times.’
In announcing his exoneration on Tuesday, Bol said no athlete should have to experience what he has gone through this year.
‘I am glad 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 the World Athletics Championships coming up in Hungary. I am in good form and feeling well. I appreciate all the support I have received.’
Fans were quick to throw their support behind the athlete.
‘The damage is 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 the news of his exoneration was a ‘dream come true’ but that no athlete should have to experience what he has gone through this year
‘Australia’s still behind ya mate. So sorry you had to go through this,’ one man said.
‘Congratulations Peter. You should not have had to wait 8 months for your exoneration but I’m pleased for you,’ another woman wrote.
‘Awesome news. Now show them how’s it’s done and blow everyone out of the water at the Olympic and Worlds,’ a third shared.
A statement from Sport Integrity Australia revealed they had used different laboratories and various experts from the World Anti Doping Authority to analyse Bol’s A and B blood samples.
The results indicated the A sample should have been a negative.
‘The further analysis resulted in varying expert opinions as to the positive or negative reporting of the sample, and the A sample was reported as negative,’ SIA said.
‘As a result, Sport Integrity Australia have taken the decision not to progress an anti-doping rule violation for this sample. The investigation into this sample is finalised.’
Bol, a Commonwealth Games silver medalist, staunchly maintained his innocence as Sport Integrity Australia continued to re-test his samples earlier this year
Bol, who ran fourth in the final of the 800m at the Tokyo Olympics, has returned to running in Europe ahead of the Paris Olympics
WADA acknowledged the announcement from Sport Integrity Australia and vowed to ‘undertake a review of current EPO 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 assess the current review process in light of the particularities of this case,’ the agency said in a statement.
Bol, who ran fourth in the final of the 800m 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 and ordered two separate B samples to be analysed 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 prohibited substance,’ he tweeted.
‘Above all, I remain hopeful that the process will exonerate me. My career, hopes and dreams are literally hanging in the balance over these next few weeks, and I ask everyone to respect my privacy as I remain provisionally suspended.’
EPO is a performance enhancing drug that boosts the body’s capacity to produce red-blood cells and allows it to use more oxygen.