Schwazer broke down in tears when admitting to doping in 2012, outlining he had flown alone to Turkey to buy the banned blood booster before storing it at the home he shared with Olympic figure skating bronze medallist Carolina Kostner. He was handed an eight-month suspended prison sentence by a court in Bolzano in December 2014, while Kostner had a 16-month suspension for being complicit in helping to cover-up his doping extended by a further five months last October by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Schwazer’s return this year had been heavily criticised, with compatriot and world indoor high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi saying he should not have been allowed to represent his country again, calling him “the Shame of Italy.” Tallent, who now stands to be promoted to another victory, criticised the Italian during his medal presentation last week when he was belatedly awarded the London 2012 50km title after the doping-related disqualification of Russia’s Sergey Kirdyapkin. “Unfortunately there is an Italian who was banned just before London who has just come back from a three years and nine month ban and we have question marks over him,” Tallent said. “He was the winner in Rome and I was second behind him there, it then came out he was working with Lance Armstrong’s doctor [Michele Ferrari] so there are question marks over him.” Tallent also finished second behind Schwazer at Beijing 2008. There is no suggestion yet that Schwazer will be stripped of that result, although the International Olympic Committee are currently re-analysing doping samples submitted there. http://www.insidethegames.biz/index.php/articles/1038735/schwazer-fails-doping-test-for-steroids-after-returning-from-three-year-drugs-ban