View source for Alex Schwazer

{{short description|Italian race walker (born 1984)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| headercolor =  
| name = 
| fullname = 
| image = Alex-Schwazer.jpg
| imagesize = 
| caption = Schwazer in 2008
| nationality = [[Italians|Italian]]
| sport = [[Athletics (sport)|Athletics]]
| event = [[Racewalking]]
| club = [[Centro Sportivo Carabinieri|C.S. Carabinieri]]
| collegeteam =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|12|26|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Sterzing]], Italy
| residence =
| coach=  
| death_date = 
| death_place= 
| height = 1.85 m
| weight = 73 kg
| pb = 
*20 km walk: 1:18:24 (2010)
*50 km walk; 3:36:04 (2007)
| country = {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Italy national athletics team|Italy]]
| medaltemplates=
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing]] | [[Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 50 kilometres walk|50 km walk]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2005 World Championships in Athletics|2005 Helsinki]]|[[2005 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 50 kilometres walk|50 km walk]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2007 World Championships in Athletics|2007 Osaka]]|[[2007 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 50 kilometres walk|50 km walk]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Athletics Championships|European Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2010 European Athletics Championships|2010 Barcelona]]|[[2010 European Athletics Championships – Men's 20 kilometres walk|20 km walk]]}}
}}

'''Alex Schwazer''', [[Commendatore of the Italian Republic|OMRI]] (born 26 December 1984), is an Italian [[race walking|race walker]]. He was the 2008 Olympic 50k walk champion.

Just before the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], he was disqualified for two years for [[Doping in sport|doping]] with [[EPO (doping)|EPO]]. He immediately admitted his guilt and retired. He subsequently decided to resume training with [[Sandro Donati]], a prominent anti-doping advocate who was the one who had flagged him as suspicious to [[World Anti-Doping Agency|WADA]] in 2012. Their goal was to prove that it was possible to win even without doping.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Andy |title=Schwazer vs. Sport: A race walker's long and winding route towards rehabilitation |url=https://www.playthegame.org/media/lstpyskm/andy-brown_schwazer_final.pdf |website=Playthegame.org}}</ref> He qualified for the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] but was found positive to micro-doping with [[testosterone]] and disqualified for eight years. Schwazer has always claimed his innocence in this case and has appealed the disqualification starting a complex judicial case. His appeals to the [[Court of Arbitration for Sport]] were unsuccessful. However, an Italian criminal court investigating the case acquitted him in 2021 ''per non aver commesso il reato'' ("for not committing the offence"), with Italian prosecutors accusing the [[World Anti-Doping Agency]] (WADA) and the [[World Athletics|IAAF]] of tampering and procedural fraud. WADA and IAAF have denied the allegations. Schwazer is currently still fighting the disqualification.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Race walker Alex Schwazer continues his fight against sport's jurisprudence system |url=https://www.playthegame.org/news/race-walker-alex-schwazer-continues-his-fight-against-sports-jurisprudence-system/ |access-date=2023-04-27 |website=www.playthegame.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

Italian newspaper ''[[La Repubblica]]'' published an investigation on this affair, suggesting evidence indicating a plot to punish Schwazer and his trainer Donati for their whistleblowing efforts against state-sponsored doping and for exposing corruption in WADA and IAAF.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2016-08-09 |title=IAAF sabotage alleged in testing of Alex Schwazer |url=https://www.sportsintegrityinitiative.com/iaaf-sabotage-alleged-in-testing-of-alex-schwazer/ |access-date=2023-04-27 |website=Sports Integrity Initiative |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Biography==
Schwazer was born in [[Vipiteno|Sterzing]], [[South Tyrol]], in northern Italy. Schwazer won the bronze medal in the 50&nbsp;km race at the [[2005 World Championships in Athletics - Men's 50 km Walk|2005 World Championships]] in a national record time of 3:41.54 hours. At the [[2007 World Championships in Athletics - Men's 20 kilometres walk|2007 World Championships]] he finished tenth in the 20&nbsp;km race and won bronze again in the 50&nbsp;km race (with the quickest finish ever measured on this event, of 3:37:04.08). He was the runner-up at the [[2008 IAAF World Race Walking Cup]] and went on to win gold at the 50&nbsp;km walk at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]], setting a new [[List of Olympic records in athletics|Olympic record]] with his time of 3:37:09.<ref name=OR>{{cite press release |title=Athletics Men's 50km Walk Detailed Results |publisher=The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad |date=22 August 2008 |url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/AT/C73L/ATM095101.shtml#ATM095101 |access-date=22 August 2008 |archive-date=25 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080825021656/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/AT/C73L/ATM095101.shtml#ATM095101 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

He started his 2010 campaign with two wins on the [[2010 IAAF World Race Walking Challenge]] circuit: first he won the 20&nbsp;km at the ''Gran Premio Città di Lugano'' in an [[Italian records in athletics|Italian record]] time, breaking [[Maurizio Damilano]]'s 18-year-old record with a time of 1:18:23.20.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.european-athletics.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8422&Itemid=2 |title=Schwazer sets Italian record at European Athletics Race Walking meet in Lugano |publisher=[[European Athletics]] |date=14 March 2010 |access-date=17 March 2010 |archive-date=16 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316040844/http://www.european-athletics.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8422&Itemid=2 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Just prior to the [[IAAF World Race Walking Cup]] he won at the ''Coppa Città di Sesto San Giovanni''.<ref name=Sesto>{{cite news|last=Sampaolo|first=Diego|date=2 May 2010|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/schwazer-and-santos-dominate-in-sesto-san-gio|title=Schwazer and Santos dominate in Sesto San Giovanni - IAAF Race Walking Challenge|publisher=[[International Association of Athletics Federations|IAAF]]|access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref> At the [[2010 European Athletics Championships]], he failed to finish the 50&nbsp;km walk, but doubled up in the 20&nbsp;km and took the [[silver medal]] behind Russia's [[Stanislav Emelyanov]]. He competed in the 20&nbsp;km race at the [[2011 World Championships in Athletics]], but managed only ninth place.

He began 2012 in strong form. First he walked an [[Italian records in athletics|Italian record]] of 1:17:30 hours to win at the ''Memorial Mario Albisetti'' 20&nbsp;km walk, then he had the fourth best 50&nbsp;km time of his career a week later to win at the ''Dudinska patdesiatka''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sampaolo |first=Diego |date=19 March 2012 |url=http://www.iaaf.org/Mini/WRC12/News/NewsDetail.aspx?id=64407 |title=Schwazer clocks sensational 1:17:30 in Lugano |publisher=IAAF |access-date=25 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621155926/http://www.iaaf.org/Mini/WRC12/News/NewsDetail.aspx?id=64407 |archive-date=21 June 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Juck |last=Alfons |date=25 March 2012 |url=http://www.iaaf.org/Mini/WRC12/News/NewsDetail.aspx?id=64450 |title=Schwazer clocks 50Km world leader in Dudince |publisher=IAAF |access-date=25 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402113653/http://www.iaaf.org/Mini/WRC12/News/NewsDetail.aspx?id=64450 |archive-date=2012-04-02 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Doping cases==
Schwazer was excluded from the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] in London after an "adverse result" from a doping test.<ref name='ReutAug6'/> Schwazer said "My career is finished... I wanted to be stronger for this Olympics, I made a mistake". He announced his decision to quit athletics and described the result as the "biggest blow of my life".<ref name='ReutAug6'>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/london-olympics-2012/articles/2012/08/06/italian-athlete-dropped-after-doping-test|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120809003841/http://www.reuters.com/london-olympics-2012/articles/2012/08/06/italian-athlete-dropped-after-doping-test|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 August 2012|title=Walk champion Schwazer excluded for doping|work=Reuters|access-date=6 August 2012|date=28 July 2012|first=Naomi|last=O'Leary}}</ref> He was subsequently given a three-and-a-half-year competition ban by the [[Italian National Olympic Committee]] in April 2013. Schwazer's girlfriend at the time of the offence, figure skater [[Carolina Kostner]], later admitted to prosecutors in Bolzano that she had lied to inspectors from the [[World Anti-Doping Agency]] shortly before the 2012 Games when they visited her home looking for Schwazer, claiming that he was not there so he could avoid being tested. She also told the prosecutors that Schwazer slept in an [[altitude chamber]], which is not banned by [[World Anti-Doping Agency|WADA]] but is illegal in Italy.<ref>{{cite web|date=19 September 2014|access-date=21 September 2014|url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/trackandfield/story/_/id/11551377/carolina-kostner-risks-punishment-skipping-hearing|title=Carolina Kostner skips hearing|publisher=[[ESPN]]}}</ref>

In May 2016, a negative doping control sample from January was flagged as anomalous by the [[Athlete biological passport|Athlete Biological Passport]] and upon further inspection was found positive for a microdose of [[testosterone]].<ref name=":4" /> Schwazer was informed about the positive in June, a few weeks before the Olympic Games. He appealed the case to the [[Court of Arbitration for Sport]]. On 11 August 2016 the court dismissed his appeal and imposed an 8-year period of ineligibility on him, until 7 July 2024.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/37042595 Rio 2016 Olympics: 50km walker Alex Schwazer banned for eight years]</ref>

On 12 June 2019 [[FIDAL]] cancelled all results achieved by the athlete starting 18 March 2012, thus also cancelling his [[List of Italian records in athletics|Italian record]] of 1:17:30 made in [[Lugano]] on 18 March 2012.<ref name=DELETE>{{cite web|url=http://www.fidal.it/content/Stano-primatista-italiano-dei-20-km-di-marcia/122018|title=Stano primatista italiano dei 20 km di marcia|publisher=fidal.it|quote=Annullati tutti risultati conseguiti da Alex Schwazer a far data dal 18 marzo 2012. L’1h17:45 ottenuto dall'azzurro delle Fiamme Oro sabato scorso a La Coruna è record nazionale assoluto|language=it|date=12 June 2019|access-date=15 June 2019}}</ref>

Italian newspaper ''[[La Repubblica]]'', however, produced a documentary with evidence, including police phone tapping, which cast serious doubt on the treatment of Schwazer and strongly suggests that the 2016 doping control sample was tampered with.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=2016-08-04|title=Operazione Schwazer, le trame dei signori del doping - la Repubblica|url=https://video.repubblica.it/sport/operazione-schwazer-le-trame-dei-signori-del-doping/248406/248538|access-date=2020-10-15|website=Repubblica TV - Repubblica|language=it}}</ref> The documentary suggests that the real target was Schwazer's trainer since 2015, [[Sandro Donati]], former trainer of the Italian sprint team, whistle-blower and a long term critic both of doping and corruption in sport, who had uncovered Italian state-sponsored cheating in the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anti-doping; The Fraud Behind the Stage|url=https://www.playthegame.org/news/news-articles/2000/anti-doping-the-fraud-behind-the-stage/|access-date=2020-10-15|website=www.playthegame.org}}</ref> In 2020 ''[[La Repubblica]]'' published a long-form article on this affair, outlining the dubious aspects of this doping offence that could be a plot.<ref name=":3">[https://rep.repubblica.it/pwa/longform/2020/10/15/news/doping_il_complotto_contro_alex_schwazer_e_sandro_donati_la_gloria_e_il_fango_dell_atletica-270461097/?ref=RHPPTP-BH-I270616604-C12-P14-S1.12-F0 La gloria e il fango.] ''La Repubblica''. Published October 25, 2020.</ref>

In 2016 an Italian criminal investigation against Schwazer was also opened in the court of [[Bolzano]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-09-17 |title=Doping, la procura indaga per un presunto complotto contro Alex Schwazer |url=https://www.runnersworld.com/it/it/news/a9641/doping-procura-bolzano-indaga-omplotto-alex-schwazer/ |access-date=2023-04-27 |website=Runner's World |language=it-IT}}</ref> On 17 March 2020 the doping ban was confirmed by the federal tribunal of Lausanne after a rejected appeal by Schwazer.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Schwazer, fine della corsa: la condanna è definitiva|url=https://www.gazzetta.it/Atletica/05-05-2020/schwazer-fine-corsa-condanna-definitiva-370733738522.shtml|access-date=2020-09-11|website=La Gazzetta dello Sport|language=it-IT}}</ref> On 18 February 2021, the Italian criminal case against Schwazer was closed.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2021-02-18|title=Ex-Olympic walking champion Schwazer cleared of doping by Italian court|url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210218-ex-olympic-walking-champion-schwazer-cleared-of-doping-by-italian-court|access-date=2021-09-14|website=France 24|language=en}}</ref> Schwazer was acquitted of all charges ''per non aver commeso il reato'' ("for not committing the offence") and the court accused [[World Anti-Doping Agency|WADA]] and the [[World Athletics|IAAF]] of samples tampering.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> However, his eight-year ban remains in place, because the [[World Anti-Doping Agency|WADA]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-22|title=WADA Statement on Alex Schwazer Case (22 April 2021)|url=https://www.wada-ama.org/en/media/news/wada-statement-on-alex-schwazer-case|access-date=2021-09-14|website=World Anti-Doping Agency|language=en}}</ref> rejected all accusations and the Lausanne federal court<ref>{{Cite web|date=16 May 2021|title=WADA welcomes Swiss Federal Tribunal rejection of Schwazer appeal|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1107848/wada-swiss-federal-tribunal-schwazer|access-date=2021-09-14|website=www.insidethegames.biz}}</ref> finally refused to suspend the ongoing disqualification.

Schwazer hence wasn't eligible to take part in [[Tokyo 2020 Olympics|Tokyo 2020 Olympic]] (postponed in 2021 due to [[COVID-19 pandemic]]).

== Media ==
In 2023, [[Netflix]] released a 4 part miniseries on Schwazer's doping controversy.<ref>{{Citation |title=Running for the Truth: Alex Schwazer (TV Mini Series 2023) - IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt25050116/ |access-date=2023-04-27}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Running for my Truth: Alex Schwazer - Netflix |url=https://www.netflix.com/title/81428316 |access-date=2023-06-16}}</ref> In September 2023 he began participating in the seventeenth edition of ''[[Grande Fratello]]'', the Italian version of [[Big Brother (franchise)|Big Brother]].<ref>{{cite web |title=ALEX SCHWAZER AL GRANDE FRATELLO |url=https://www.grandefratello.mediaset.it/news/alex-schwazer-al-grande-fratello_344733.shtml |website=GRANDE FRATELLO |publisher=grandefratello.mediaset.it |access-date=12 September 2023 |language=IT |date=30 August 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Italian records in athletics]]
*[[Athletics in Italy#20 km walk|Italian all-time lists: 20 km walk]]
*[[Athletics in Italy#50 km walk|Italian all-time lists: 50 km walk]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Alex Schwazer}}
* {{sports links|properties=-P4069}}
* {{CONI profile|new_id=57|old_id=835}}
* {{webarchive |title=Official website |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080714104908/http://www.alexschwazer.com/ |date=mdy}}

{{Navboxes
|title =Related
|list1=
{{Footer Olympic Champions 50 km Walk Men}}
{{Footer WBYP Race Walk Men}}
{{Italian Athletics Champions in men's 10000 m walk}}
{{Italian Athletics Champions in men's 20 km walk}}
{{Italian Athletics Champions in men's 50 km walk}}
{{Italian Athletics Champions in men's indoor 5000 m walk}}
{{Footer Italy Athletics 2008 Summer Olympics}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schwazer, Alex}}
[[Category:1984 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Sterzing]]
[[Category:Athletes from South Tyrol]]
[[Category:Italian male race walkers]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Italy]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Italy]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Italy]]
[[Category:Athletics competitors of Centro Sportivo Carabinieri]]
[[Category:Doping cases in athletics]]
[[Category:Italian sportspeople in doping cases]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:European Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Germanophone Italian people]]
[[Category:Italian Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:21st-century Italian sportsmen]]