Alex Schwazer facts for kids
Schwazer in 2008
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Quick facts for kids Personal information |
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| Nationality | Italian | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 26 December 1984 Sterzing, Italy |
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| Height | 1.85 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 73 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Italy |
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| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Racewalking | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | C.S. Carabinieri | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal best(s) |
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Medal record
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Alex Schwazer (born 26 December 1984) is an Italian race walker. He became famous for winning the gold medal in the 50-kilometer walk at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Before the 2012 Summer Olympics, Alex Schwazer was disqualified from competing. This happened because a test showed he had used a banned substance. He admitted his mistake and decided to stop competing. Later, he chose to train again with Sandro Donati, a coach who works hard to fight against doping in sports. Their goal was to show that athletes could win fairly.
Alex Schwazer qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics. However, he was again found to have a banned substance in his system and was disqualified for eight years. Schwazer has always said he was innocent in this second case. He has been fighting this decision in court. An Italian court later said he was not guilty of a crime in 2021. This court even suggested that some sports organizations might have handled his samples unfairly. These organizations have denied these claims. Alex Schwazer is still working to clear his name and lift his ban.
Contents
Alex Schwazer's Early Career
Alex Schwazer was born in Sterzing, a town in northern Italy. He quickly became a top athlete in racewalking.
- In 2005, he won a bronze medal in the 50-kilometer race at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. He set a new national record for Italy.
- At the 2007 World Championships in Athletics, he won another bronze medal in the 50-kilometer race.
- In 2008, he was the runner-up at a big racewalking competition. Later that year, he won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 50-kilometer walk. He even set a new Olympic record with his amazing time.
Achievements and Records
Alex Schwazer continued to achieve great things in his sport.
- In 2010, he won two races on the international circuit. He set a new Italian record in the 20-kilometer walk. He broke a record that had stood for 18 years!
- At the 2010 European Athletics Championships, he won a silver medal in the 20-kilometer walk.
- In 2011, he competed in the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, finishing ninth.
- He started 2012 very strongly. He set another Italian record in the 20-kilometer walk. A week later, he had one of his best times ever in the 50-kilometer race.
Challenges and Legal Battles
Alex Schwazer faced serious challenges related to doping tests.
2012 Disqualification
Alex Schwazer was not allowed to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. This was because a doping test showed he had used a banned substance. He admitted his mistake and said his career was over. In 2013, he received a ban from competing for three and a half years.
2016 Disqualification
In 2016, another doping test from January was found to be positive for a banned substance. This happened just weeks before the 2016 Summer Olympics. Schwazer appealed this decision, but a sports court upheld the ban. He was given an eight-year ban from competing.
In 2019, all of Alex Schwazer's results from March 2012 onwards were officially canceled. This included his Italian record from 2012.
However, an Italian newspaper called La Repubblica published an investigation. This investigation raised questions about the 2016 doping test. It suggested that the sample might have been handled unfairly. The newspaper also suggested that the real target might have been his coach, Sandro Donati. Donati is known for speaking out against doping and corruption in sports.
In 2021, an Italian criminal court closed its case against Alex Schwazer. The court found him not guilty of any crime. The court even accused some sports organizations of tampering with samples. However, his eight-year ban from sports still remains in place. This meant he could not compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (which took place in 2021).
Alex Schwazer in Media
In 2023, Netflix released a four-part miniseries about Alex Schwazer's doping controversies. In September 2023, he also started participating in Grande Fratello, which is the Italian version of the TV show Big Brother.
See also
In Spanish: Alex Schwazer para niños
- Italian records in athletics
- Italian all-time lists: 20 km walk
- Italian all-time lists: 50 km walk
