Peter Bol’s doping test was been mishandled by Sports Integrity Australia (SIA) according to his lawyer Paul Greene, who is demanding an end to the ongoing investigation into the athlete.
In a letter to SIA, Greene cited two laboratory assessments suggesting Bol’s urine samples at the centre of the investigation are clean.
He accused SIA of “inexperience and incompetence” in their handling of Bol’s samples.
The Peter Bol doping allegations
In January, Bol tested positive for ‘recombinant EPO’, a banned substance which is synthetic, meaning it cannot be produced naturally by the human body.
Bol was suspended, but had his suspension lifted when a second test was ‘atypical’ but did not confirm the original finding.
Bol remains under investigation but has consistently maintained his innocence. A conclusive positive finding could result in a lifetime ban.
Experts say samples were clean
Bol’s lawyer sought two independent assessments of Bol’s samples from chemistry professors in Canada and Norway.
According to Bol’s lawyer, both of these assessments concluded Bol should have tested negative on both occasions. The experts suggested the original tests had not been conducted properly and had been wrongly interpreted, leading to an incorrect finding. One expert said there was “absolutely no evidence” of recombinant EPO in Bol’s samples.
‘Clear Bol of wrongdoing’: lawyer
In the letter sent to SIA, Bol’s lawyer said he “is innocent and always has been… this was not even a close call. Instead, this was a blunder of epic proportions.”
The lawyer demanded SIA end its investigation, acknowledge its mistake and assert Bol’s innocence. “The way he has been mistreated needs to be rectified.”
SIA declined to comment.