Ex-Olympic champion Schwazer's doctors sentenced over doping

Italian Athletics Federation doctors Pierluigi Fiorella and Giuseppe Fischetto have been banned for helping Italian 50km walker Alex Schwazer engage in doping.

Alex Schwazer returned to competition after serving a three-and-a-half year ban for testing positive before the 2012 London Olympics. But a sample, which had first returned a negative result, was re-tested in May 2016 which showed traces of anabolic steroids. (File Image)

Two doctors who helped Italian 50km walker Alex Schwazer to dope have received two-year jail terms and banned from practising for the same period by a criminal court in Bolzano on Thursday.

Italian Athletics Federation (Fidal) doctors Pierluigi Fiorella and Giuseppe Fischetto were accused of aiding 2008 Olympic champion Schwazer in doping.

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Former Fidal technical manager, Rita Bottiglieri, was sentenced to nine months, with all three convictions going beyond those requested by prosecutor Giancarlo Bramante.

"The decision confirms that Alex Schwazer has told the truth to the judges, which is an important confirmation for us," the athlete's lawyer Gerhard Brandstaetter said.

Schwazer returned to competition after serving a three-and-a-half year ban for testing positive before the 2012 London Olympics. But a sample, which had first returned a negative result, was re-tested in May 2016 which showed traces of anabolic steroids.

Schwazer was subsequently ruled out of the 2016 Rio Olympics after losing an appeal over an eight-year doping ban. The investigation followed immediately after Schwazer's positive test, with the athlete claiming he was now clean and the victim of foul play.