The Italian Athletics Federation (FIDAL) doctors who allegedly helped former Olympic race walk champion Alex Schwazer take drugs were convicted by a Bolzano criminal court Thursday. Pierluigi Fiorella and Giuseppe Fischetto both got two years in jail.
Former FIDAL technical sector chief Rita Bottiglieri got nine months.
In August 2016 Schwazer was disqualified for eight years for alleged doping.
The sentence was handed down by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in response to an appeal brought by the athlete against his suspension from the Rio Olympics.
The international athletics association IAAF had called for an eight-year ban.
"I am devastated," Schwazer said in response.
Schwazer returned to competition in May 2016 after serving a ban he was handed for testing positive before the 2012 London Olympics.
Shortly thereafter it was announced that testosterone had been detected in a urine test in January 2016.
All other urine or blood tests conducted on the athlete since 2015 were negative.
Schwazer argued he was now clean and was the victim of foul play.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
