Athletes who recorded inconclusive preliminary doping test results for synthetic EPO may be spared public humiliation following reforms to the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) triggered by the Peter Boll saga.
The Australian Olympian was temporarily suspended in January 2023 after out-of-competition tests showed he had elevated levels of synthetic EPO, a substance that stimulates the formation of bed blood cells and aids recovery. Subsequent tests cleared him.
WADA has reviewed its processes following the Bol case and new EPO testing guidelines will come into effect in June. It expands the requirement for two experts to evaluate the results before a positive test is recorded and made public.
The updated technical document states that “a finding will be reported as an adverse analytical finding.” [positive test] Only when two experts conclude [synthetic EPO] present in the sample” and outlines the detailed steps of the process.
Athletics Australia said in a statement it was “encouraged by the World Anti-Doping Agency review and supports any research that improves the reliability of EPO testing to provide more certainty for athletes”.
Last year, analysis of Bol’s second sample produced an atypical result a month after his initial result and his ban was lifted.
According to Sport Integrity Australia, follow-up testing of the initial sample found “different expert opinions”, highlighting the scientific challenges in EPO testing.
If Ball’s sample had been processed under the new guidelines, the initial results could have been subject to additional testing, which could have prevented a positive finding and a temporary suspension.
However, the EPO test remains subjective, and scientists reviewing the Bol test continue to criticize Wada’s recommended approach.
This incident had a significant impact on Boll. In 2021, he finished fourth in the 800m final at the Tokyo Olympics, which was the highest ranking achieved by an Australian man in an individual track and field competition since 1988.
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At the 2023 World Championships, Bol competed in his first major competition since his suspension, but was eliminated in the preliminary rounds. He later said he was not in a positive mind at the time.
The 30-year-old has qualified for Australia’s squad for the Paris Olympics, which begins in July.
After receiving his tickets earlier this week, he told Channel 9 that he was “happy, healthy and back on track”.
