Alex Schwazer will go to court again. © DLife/Fiorentino

Sensation: The Schwazer case lands back in court

The doping scandal surrounding Alex Schwazer is still not over. Now the European Court of Human Rights is getting involved.

September 12, 2025

From: det

A few days ago, Alex Schwazer made headlines in the Italian sports press. The race walker from Kalch broke his personal record in a 10-kilometer race at the regional championships in Bolzano – and at the age of 40. With this feat, the 2008 Olympic champion once again astonished local sports experts.

Now Schwazer is back in the spotlight: His doping case, which was originally shelved when his ban expired in summer 2024, is back in court. The European Court of Human Rights has opened proceedings against the Swiss government. The reason: The Swiss Federal Supreme Court refused to review the doping ruling in Schwazer's case, which had been imposed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Alex Schwazer at the court hearing in Bolzano, early 2021.

A quick flashback: In 2016, Alex Schwazer was banned for eight years for a supposedly positive doping test. However, this case contained many inconsistencies. The Bolzano Regional Court considered the doping test manipulation possible and dropped the case. The Wipptal native therefore wanted to appeal to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, which could have lifted the doping ban. But the South Tyrolean was rebuffed: The Federal Supreme Court rejected his appeal – despite the new facts.

Brandstätter hopes for justice

Schwazer had already filed a complaint against the Swiss Federal Supreme Court's actions in 2022. Now the European Court of Human Rights has intervened and opened proceedings against the Swiss government on August 21, 2025. "We are very pleased because these proceedings are another important step forward in achieving justice for Alex," Schwazer's lawyer Gerhard Brandstätter told the news agency AGI.