Bol has denied ever taking a prohibited substance, and that chimes with everything Australia thought it knew about him. But now his reputation hangs in the balance
. He captivated local audiences during the pandemic lockdown, becoming the first Australian since 1968 to reach an Olympic 800m final.The 28-year-old’s burgeoning promise was confirmed with strong showings last year – reaching the final at the world championships and winning silver at the Commonwealth Games. But if Bol is unable to clear his name, this glittering career may be over.
There are facts in his favour. Bol had 26 anti-doping tests last year and only this one has returned a positive reading. The timing is also strange. EPO improves performance by stimulating the production of red blood cells and regulating their concentration, which together aid endurance. Why take EPO at the end of a season, with no competition in sight?
But there are also facts that stand against him. Because synthetic EPO can only be injected, there is no chance it was consumed by accident – unlike some other performance-enhancing drugs. Since EPO testing became widespread in the early 2000s there have been just a handful of false positives cases. The odds are not in Bol’s favour.
So as Australian athletics fans hold their collective breath and await the outcome of the B sample and any subsequent legal proceedings, there is a distinct tension. We’ve been through public doping scandals before, with Lance Armstrong and so many others. Bol is entitled to due process, but given the history of doping in sport, few want to be duped. With Bol’s incredible story, the plausibility of his denial, the light he provided in Tokyo during dark times, this all feels like a bad dream.
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