Monday November 25, 2024

Bol says B sample clears him of doping allegation

Published : 15 Feb 2023, 10:02

  DF News Desk
Peter Bol (R) of Australia competes during the men's 800m heat at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, in Tokyo, Japan, July 31, 2021. File Photo: Xinhua.

Australian track star Peter Bol says he has been cleared of doping allegations while Sport Integrity Australia says that the investigation into the matter is not over, reported Xinhua.

In a statement on Tuesday, Bol, who finished fourth in the 800 meter final at the Tokyo Olympics, announced his doping suspension has been lifted after a B sample cleared him of taking a performance enhancing drug.

Athletics Australia in January suspended the 28-year-old indefinitely after a sample collected in October tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO), which is on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list.

Responding to the ban, Bol strongly denied ever taking performance enhancing substances and requested a B sample be analyzed.

On Tuesday he said the B sample did not match the original result, clearing the national 800m record holder to return to training and competition.

"Last month I told everyone that I was innocent and asked that everyone in Australia believe me and let the process play out," Bol wrote in a statement posted on social media.

"My provisional suspension has been lifted by Sport Integrity Australia. The relief I am feeling is hard to describe."

Sport Integrity Australia said in a statement on Tuesday that the investigation remains ongoing.

"The results of the Part B Sample analysis is an Atypical Finding (ATF) for recombinant EPO," it said.

"An ATF is not the same as a negative test result. An ATF is a report from a WADA-accredited laboratory which requires further investigation as provided by the World Anti-Doping Code."