It wasn’t long after Van der Paul’s world record was before rumors of doping began to circulate. In an interview with the TT news agency, he commented on it for the first time.

– I’m very happy. I enjoy being so good at what I do that people think it’s not possible. And he says it’s very satisfying.

In December, Van der Bolle held his first competition in more than two years and finished seventh as the best time in the world in the 10,000 meters and set a record in Sweden. In February, he took the World Cup gold in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters and set a world record in the last exercise.

– I was suspicious of myself from doping. “You just don’t do that.” I understand people are wondering, he says, adding that he took questions from Dutch TV immediately after the completion.

It is not available

It is also part of the story that Van der Bolle announced in June 2018 that he would take a break from sports and serve instead in the Army Hunting Battalion. At the same time, subscribe to a so-called residence reporting system. It is the system that elite athletes must notify of their whereabouts so that doping monitors can perform unannounced checks.

For van der Paul, that was a necessity. Service in the military means you are not always available.

Just a year later, Van der Boyle returned to the reporting system, but he did not compete and stood all season. Deals with doping issues calmly.

– Does not make sense

I am a great athlete who works first and foremost to prove to myself what I can achieve. He says that if I had been on steroids all I would do would be meaningless.

– He adds that I would rather lose than win through cheating.

Van der Bolle, who also won two junior gold medals from 2014 and 2015, is one of Sweden’s biggest hopes for gold ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics.