Australian Olympic hero Peter Bol has been provisionally suspended after failing a test for performance-enhancing drugs.

The 800-metre runner failed an out of competition test for EPO and had been provisionally banned from January 10.

At the Tokyo Olympics Bol came fourth in an outstanding run in the final of the 800m, missing out on the bronze medal by 0.5 seconds. He had won his semi-final in a personal best time.

Athletics Australia confirmed Boil had returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) an out-of-competition doping control test on October 11 last year.

Sport Integrity Australia informed Athletics Australia on Tuesday 10th January that the A Sample had returned an AAF for Erythropoietin Receptor Agonists (ERA): rEPO (rEPO).

AA said BOl would be unable to train at a national, state or club level, compete at any level, coach, receive funding, use official or member facilities or hold a position with a sporting organisation.

Bol can now have a second sample, the B sample, analysed to reconfirm the A sample result.

AA chief executive Peter Bromley said the negative A sample was “extremely concerning and out of the blue.

“There are procedural fairness and investigative consideration that constrain how much we can say, and at this point it would be inappropriate for Athletics Australia or anyone else to speculate about the specific details or pre-empt any outcome,” Bromley said.