Running for my Truth: Alex Schwazer (2023) s01e03 Episode Script
Episode 3
1
[tense ambient music playing]
CALICE
31 DECEMBER 2015
[indistinct conversation]
[man] Happy New Year!
[Sandro] The night of December 31st,
two men travel from Austria.
[woman laughing]
[Sandro] The International Federation
of Athletics commissioned them
to carry out an anti-doping test
on Alex Schwazer on January 1st.
[music intensifies]
[doorbell chimes]
At 7:00 a.m., I got a call from my mom.
She said, "The inspectors are here
for the drug test."
Alex came up 20 minutes later,
and it was done. Like usual.
[Alex] They did a test on my urine
and they also took a blood sample.
It was a full check.
After a few weeks,
the Cologne laboratory sent the results
to the International
Federation of Athletics.
Negative. Negative urine.
ALEX SCHWAZER: RUNNING FOR MY TRUTH
ROME
NOVEMBER 2015
[Alex] 2015, I was in Rome with Sandro.
We were friends now. Good friends.
[both chuckling]
I'm grateful for the time I spent in Rome.
I was able to be,
first and foremost, a person.
[Sandro] Look, they want
a picture with you.
- Got it.
- Thank you!
Thank you. Congratulations.
Being in the Nomentano district
was like being part of a family.
I knew a lot of people there.
You always find something
to talk about with them.
There's always a subject.
There's always this cheerfulness.
[Marie Louise] Alex seemed so happy.
He was in his element again.
In his In his passion, in his sport.
I was happy.
[indistinct chatter]
[Alex] I wasn't seeing any athletes.
Only ordinary people.
And this, of course,
helped me a lot to avoid drifting
into seeing myself
just as an athlete.
Should I tell a joke?
[people laughing]
Donati was like a father to him.
Like family.
But let's not forget that he lived in Rome
in a small hotel, all alone,
training in the streets of Rome.
ALEX'S LAWYER
The people there adopted him.
They saw that he was a good kid.
[Giovanni] He was training
in the fields and roads,
with no opportunity
for official validation,
being disqualified,
but as rumors had it,
he was as fast as a train.
I decided to test him again,
on a longer distance, 20 kilometers,
in the Montesacro district
where we stayed.
- [in Italian] Go Alex!
- Go Alex!
[cheering]
[in English] It was nice,
because the locals got involved too.
[man in Italian] Go, Alex!
Give it all!
[in English] He did a 20-kilometer test,
while I followed on a bike,
with a crowd watching.
[onlookers cheering]
There was huge support.
A bit of chaos too,
but they don't bother you.
No, no. They, uh
They enrich the training you're doing.
Which is awesome.
[Sandro] I asked some judges to spectate,
and they said Schwazer was walking
with perfect technique.
I anticipated we'd be criticized
on this particular aspect.
Schwazer did the best
world performance of the year.
This confirmed he was
a rehabilitated athlete at a high level.
The only trainer, in my opinion,
who was able to really bring out
Alex Schwazer's full potential
was Sandro Donati.
He was able to tackle Alex Schwazer's
training in a global way
JOURNALIS
from a biomechanical view,
and helped him improve.
Wonderful step.
I was immediately attacked
by the usual suspects.
Barra's friends, Barra himself.
They put out pictures trying to prove
that Schwazer wasn't walking but running.
Nonsense.
[Giovanni] There were certainly
a lot of people who were hoping
for this odd couple to fail.
Sport directors were wishing him to fail,
despite his 30 years serving
that federation, or that society.
I mean, it's disgusting but true.
These men were trying to
influence the judges,
and to immediately create an opposition,
because the World Championship
was scheduled in just a few weeks.
ROME
MARCH 2016
[Sandro] The managers of the federation
and the competition judges
wanted to verify whether Schwazer
was entitled to enter
this World Championship.
I performed really well,
and everyone was thrilled.
But he seemed concerned.
He said he wasn't sure they'd
let Alex compete in the World Cup.
April 28th, 2016,
Schwazer's disqualification would expire.
Barra, as expected, wrote to the head
of the Athletic Federation.
"I beg you. Do not call him."
This extreme attempt by Barra
was aimed at preventing
Schwazer from qualifying
for the Olympic Games.
Sandro has always tried to protect me.
So he handled this stuff
without telling me.
The Athletic Federation
went its own way and called him,
but I lived those last few days
before the World Championship in Rome
with the unnerving feeling
of being a target.
However, much worse was in the air.
[ominous music playing]
[church bell tolling]
ROME
MAY 2016
One morning, Sandro Donati calls me
and says he has a story to share.
So he starts telling me this story.
At some point, I interrupt him and I say,
"I'm not a sports journalist."
"I've been covering
the Mafia for 40 years."
But he keeps talking.
On the same day
Barra wrote that open letter,
another letter was sent.
It was signed by Maria Zamora.
From abroad.
More or less, she said this.
"A German academic has spoken about you,
accusing you of being involved
in the Russians' doping,
of being paid by the Russians,
and having a middleman,
an agent called Dmitry
with whom you are in close contact."
Then I understood
it wasn't a sports story,
but a Mafia story. A frightening one.
Professor Donati said
he feared for his life.
[Sandro] I got scared,
because the wording
was different from the sport world's.
So I imagined it could be intelligence,
or some scumbags
who are used to threatening people.
[Mario] He was vague.
He didn't tell me anything,
except that he was being attacked.
[Sandro] If you accuse me
of working with the Russians,
you're really telling me,
"We know it was you
who brought up the database
and the Russian involvement."
The database would never have come out
had I not tested positive.
[reporter in Italian]
The investigation into Schwazer,
conducted by the Chief Prosecutor
of Bolzano, Guido Rispoli,
led to the seizing of the database
kept by former federal doctor,
Giuseppe Fischetto,
who worked with the Athletics Federation
to carry out anti-doping checks.
[in English] When they found the database,
some individuals,
such as Dr. Fischetto, got wiretapped,
and based on their conversations,
it was clear they were very worried.
[Fischetto in Italian]
I hope the news isn't leaked.
There'd be an international outcry.
WIRETAPPING OF JUNE 15, 2013
[in English] The examples were very clear,
perfectly nailing those countries
that had a significant number of athletes
with abnormal values
found in the database.
[Fischetto in Italian] Imagine they
got hold of the data on the Russians,
the Turks, or the others.
Because I am on, as you know,
the World Committee of the IAAF.
Anyway, this kraut has to be killed.
[in English] I was scared to hear this.
I was upset because, you know,
these people mean business.
BERLIN
[Attilio] German journalist Hajo Seppelt
had already been investigating
the Russians' doping,
and already published
some athlete testimonies.
Then, suddenly, someone sends him
that precious archive, the database.
And the case blows up.
[reporter 1 in Italian] More than 1,000
Russian athletes across 30 disciplines
were subjected to a state doping program.
A cover-up involving
institutions of all levels.
[reporter 2] The doping scandal
that is devastating Russian sport emerged
as part of the Schwazer investigation
carried out by the Bolzano judiciary.
[in English] That database,
which I have named
"the database of shame,"
was evidence of a parallel system,
where doping was not fought
and sanctioned,
but merely recorded in an archive.
The powerful
International Federation of Athletics,
which writes and enforces the rules,
was breaking the rules themselves.
[reporter 3 in Italian] A veritable
earthquake is gripping world athletics
following reports published by ARD
and the Sunday Times.
PARIS
2 DECEMBER 2015
[in English] It seemed insane to me that
the International Federation of Athletics,
which handled a billion-dollar business,
in sponsorships and broadcasting rights,
and decided the countries where
the most important competitions were held,
also carried out the drug tests.
So, what was WADA there for?
Was it an empty box?
WADA is the world regulator.
WADA'S GENERAL DIRECTOR
Our role is not to do anti-doping tests.
We actually don't do anti-doping tests.
Our role is to have regulations,
is to accredit the laboratories,
is to do scientific research,
is to provide education, et cetera.
So, the World Athletics, or the IAAF,
they are responsible
to organize anti-doping for athletics.
But in order to do that properly,
they need to follow our rules
in the way they operate.
And we have, obviously,
the possibility to audit them,
make sure that they do it right.
The WADA, World Anti-Doping Agency,
was aware of the Russian athlete reports.
And it was aware of the data
included in the database
sent to them by Professor Donati himself.
But it's only after
the television coverage
that they start doing something about it.
So they appoint an independent
inquiry commission.
MUNICH
14 JANUARY 2016
[man] Good afternoon, everyone.
Welcome to this World Anti-Doping Agency
independent commission
press conference here in Munich.
Today we're here to listen to findings
on a leaked blood values database
released by the Sunday Times newspaper
and ARD Television.
The conclusions of the report
are extremely clear.
This database does not show
any wrongdoing from World Athletics.
The substance of the Russian scandal
does not come from there.
Watching the press conference,
I quickly realized
it was a hall of mirrors.
It seemed that the committee
appointed by the WADA
had been very carefully curbing
the devastating effects
of the press investigations,
and that they had scapegoated
the senior managers
of the Athletics Federation,
who were obviously finished,
by now, with the Russians.
The ability of Lord Coe
to remain at the head of the IAAF,
I think it's a fabulous opportunity
for the IAAF.
All our fingers are crossed
in that respect.
[Attilio] The cards were shuffled,
but the deck was the same.
Vice-president Sebastian Coe
replaces president Lamine Diack,
who was recently arrested
for being on the Russians' payroll.
Meanwhile, in the anti-doping department,
Thomas Capdevielle replaced his boss,
Gabriel Dollé,
who got caught with $50,000
hidden in his washing machine.
[Sandro] The idea that Sebastian Coe
and Capdevielle
didn't know anything is nonsense.
It's like hiding behind a finger,
but it's the smallest finger, the pinkie.
Professor Sandro Donati's problems
boil down to one thing.
He doesn't respect the number one rule
of the big family of world athletics.
The silence rule.
[in Italian] There are other hotspots,
and we need to investigate
other countries,
such as Türkiye and others,
some even European.
[in English] After the latest attack
against the WADA,
it was war between him
and the bosses of world athletics.
Suddenly, after 12 years
of intense collaboration,
I was described as a fraud,
faking a work relationship with WADA.
It led to an injunction letter,
where I was told that I could no longer
publicly introduce myself
in media interviews
as a consultant for the organization.
I was shocked by this,
because the role I had with them
went far beyond being a consultant.
[Attilio] The deeper I delved
into this story,
the more I understood
why Professor Donati was scared.
Because he had entered a world
which was similar
to the world
I had dealt with my whole life.
A world where, if one man speaks out,
he's considered a disgrace.
And if he keeps talking,
he's considered a danger,
to be eliminated at all costs.
ROME
8 MAY 2016
[cell phone vibrating]
[Sandro] The morning of the race,
I received a call.
On the other end of the line
was an international racewalk judge
whom I knew.
Nicola Maggio.
[in Italian] Hello, it's Maggio.
I imagine this isn't the best time.
Sandro, please, tell him once again,
right up until the race starts,
"Let Tallent win."
[in English] Tallent was the Australian
holder of the Olympic title.
[in Italian] Please tell him
to let Tallent win. Okay?
[in English] Receiving a call like that,
just before an important competition,
can be terrifying.
I thought, "If he has so openly,
explicitly asked me to rig the race,
then if Alex doesn't do it,
they will disqualify him during the race."
[dramatic music playing]
[announcer in Italian]
Good morning and happy Sunday.
The World Cup in Rome, 2016 begins!
This will be a long 50 kilometers.
[in English] That race weighed on my mind.
Because of the journey
it took to get there.
[Sandro] After 30 years,
I was finally returning to sports,
and even wearing
the national team tracksuit
because I was Alex's trainer.
Before I raced as an athlete,
but in Rome, I participated as a man.
[speaking Italian]
[in English] This race was
a redemption after all he suffered.
That's why we all went.
I have to say,
it was emotional for me too,
because, for Alex, this event was a dream.
No one could predict exactly
how he would fare in a real race.
He was happy to see me,
but he was focused.
He was truly in his element.
Kathy was nervous.
Really on edge.
Because she'd never been to a race.
Plus, 50 kilometers is long, you know?
[pulsing electronic drumbeat playing]
- [crowd cheering]
- [stirring music playing]
[Giulia] It was so nice
to see him racing again.
I said, "This is it. It's all over."
[Sandro] When the race started,
about seven or eight walkers
got to the front.
[Mario] Alex was very restrained
in the first part of the race.
He almost looked like a car
being forced to go too slowly,
considering the power
it could express at that moment.
Around the 25th kilometer,
the pace was so slow
that I decided to speed up a bit.
I didn't mean to pass them.
But no one could keep up with me.
[crowd cheering]
[Sandro] I was aware that the pace
was incredibly easy for him.
It would take better athletes
to keep up with Alex.
[crowd cheering]
I felt like a kid again. [chuckles]
And really felt the drive to do this.
[Sandro] Suddenly, I saw him ahead
of everyone else by at least 200 meters.
Honestly, I was freaking out.
I said, "Alex, calm down!"
And he said something like,
"This is like training for me."
[crowd cheering]
[Kathrin] I was enchanted.
It was wonderful to see him
with such elegance.
I was almost sweating with him.
I was feeling his struggle.
[crowd cheering]
Bravo, Alex!
[Alex] During the race I thought,
"Shame it will all be over in an hour."
[Sandro] So, gradually,
he had more and more of a lead
over this Jared Tallent.
The only thing I could do,
about ten kilometers
before the finish line,
I said, "Alex, you don't need
to increase your lead more."
"Just finish it easy."
[crowd cheering]
[emotional orchestral music playing]
The last kilometer,
I thought of the Olympics,
and how finishing would feel.
[cheering continues]
[announcer in Italian] Alex Schwazer
comes back, 8 years later, to win,
following a terrible story
that saw him disqualified
for three years and nine months.
He will have an incredible victory.
This is proof,
in view of the redemption journey
he's been on,
that he can achieve a great result
without resorting
to the shady doping rooms.
[crowd cheering]
[announcer] Three hours and 39 minutes,
with a standing ovation from many
en route to the finish line,
and surely plenty of emotion.
[Mario in English] Three hours
and 39 minutes in a 50K race
is the speed needed to win the Olympics.
With a huge lead.
[cheering continues]
[Alex] At the finish line,
I actually lifted Sandro.
Literally lifted him.
I felt so strong, I carried him.
[presenter] Alex Schwazer!
[Sandro] It was gratifying
to successfully relaunch him.
[in Italian] Impressive performance.
A great story.
Unique, difficult, tormented.
I believe in the man's revenge.
Anyway, long live sport.
Alex Schwazer dominates
a 50-kilometer racewalk at world level.
He has qualified for Rio 2016.
A victory applauded in Italy,
but is met with criticism elsewhere.
[reporter] Tallent dubbed
the unluckiest athlete in the world
after a second-place finish
to drug cheat Schwazer,
writes the Herald Sun.
[in English]
I don't really have any respect for him
[reporter, in Italian]
"I don't have any respect for him."
"I still believe he's lied
and changed his story many times."
[in English] I just ignore certain things.
I'm happy to confront anyone.
But they need to be arguing in good faith.
Otherwise, it's a waste.
Alex had finished it
with huge energy margins.
He was running so fast,
I decided to get him qualified for
the 20K race and do both the Olympiads.
We were leading in both races.
We had our pick.
We had the numbers to say
that both the 20 and 50K race
would result in the same medal.
Gold.
ROME
21 JUNE 2016
[Alex] June 21st was our last day in Rome,
because Sandro and I wanted to spend
the last month in Vipiteno
because of the nice weather.
I had left a day before him
for the Alto Adige,
because my plan was to follow Alex
up until his departure for the Olympics.
Finally, he had a chance to come home.
We could see each other.
We were so happy.
It should have been one of
the happiest days of our life.
I had Kathy at home now,
and I could train for the Olympics,
where I was sure to score
two great results.
No doubt about it.
BRAIES
21 JUNE 2016
June 21st, afternoon, I was in Braies.
I will always remember it
as a terrible memory.
[tense music playing]
[Sandro] I got a call from head of the
Athletics Federation, Alfio Giomi.
I could tell he was upset.
He said to me,
"So, do you know what happened?"
I didn't have the slightest clue
what had happened.
"You don't know?" "Know what?"
"Alex is positive!"
[tense music swells]
It was a terrifying moment.
Impossible to describe what I felt.
In addition, I had to inform Alex.
So I had to call and tell him.
He says, "Yes, Prof?" Very cheerful.
"They found you positive."
Complete silence.
[Alex] I blanked after that.
I don't even remember
how I got to my parents' place.
Don't remember.
I blanked it all out.
[Kathrin] Alex was shocked that night,
and I tried to talk to him, to understand.
Did someone make a mistake, or?
Logically, he didn't have an answer.
And I was lost for words too.
[reporter in Italian] A new storm
brews for Alex Schwazer.
[Sandro in English] That night
was a nightmare. I drove to Alex's place,
and I really wanted to get there,
because I thought he must be miserable.
It was late at night.
I drove the wrong way.
I was a complete mess.
I don't know
if I've ever felt so bad in my life.
So I finally got there,
in the mountains where they live,
and the first thing he said to me,
"Prof, this time I won't make it."
At that moment, I wasn't sure if and how
I would get through this thing.
A second time, but being innocent.
I was very worried.
[reporter in Italian]
"Stop Alex Schwazer."
The order given today
by the International Athletics Federation,
who suspended the Italian racewalker
with immediate effect.
[in English] My first thought was,
"He duped us. Disgusting."
[in Italian] I'm upset.
Neither disappointed, nor angry.
PRESIDENT OF FIDAL
This kind of thing
really leaves its mark on you.
[in English] I was completely disoriented.
I tried to retrace things mentally.
But nothing made sense.
[in Italian] I'm for a lifetime ban.
SWIMMER
I think a lot of athletes will agree.
This is a nightmare for me
because it's the worst thing
that could happen.
[reporter 1] No tears or excuses
at Alex Schwazer's press conference.
Some suggest a split personality.
VICTIM OR LIAR?
Someone probably doesn't want me
to go to the Olympics.
But I can promise you
that we will sort this out.
[reporter 2] His trainer, Sandro Donati,
who has stuck with him thus far,
will not abandon Alex.
[Sandro] This story sent him
back into the abyss.
I thought, "They did such a good job."
"How am I going to explain to people
that this is not a relapse?"
[in English] I expected Sandro Donati
to react by standing firm by Alex's side.
I think the idea of betrayal
was unbearable to him.
[in Italian] I did not dope.
Either someone gave me this substance
in the days prior,
or the test was manipulated.
[camera shutters clicking]
[somber ambient music playing]
[Alex in English] I remember
the difficulty in explaining myself.
I mean, I don't even know what happened.
All I can say is that I didn't dope.
[Sandro] We knew with absolute certainty
that Alex had not been doping.
And I had substantial
evidence to prove it.
[Marie Louise] Alex told me,
"All my tests were all negative."
"It's impossible."
"They want to ruin me."
And seeing him so miserable
was so terrible.
[Attilio] The news of
Schwazer's positive results arrived
just a few days
before his departure for Rio,
for the Olympics.
But the tests had been
performed six months earlier,
precisely on January 1st, 2016.
Too many things
didn't add up in that story.
[Sandro] This positive
was completely laughable.
They found a tiny amount of testosterone.
This tiny amount completely clashes
with the absence of testosterone
found in all previous checks,
as well as the following checks.
Only a madman would dope
with testosterone just once,
in minimal quantity, because it wouldn't
have any effect whatsoever.
[Attilio] Schwazer's samples
had already been analyzed
at the Cologne laboratory,
one of the most advanced in the world.
After that, they were
supposed to be destroyed.
But, in a plot twist,
they needed a more accurate check.
As far as the Cologne lab
was concerned, that test was over.
Negative result, end of story.
The International Federation,
however, sees beyond.
And after a few weeks, they decide to
request a second test by the laboratory.
As if they'd had a revelation.
[Olivier] The sample was identified
as suspicious not by the Cologne lab.
It was identified as suspicious
by the Montreal lab,
acting as an organ who looks
at a number of parameters
of an athlete over time.
It's very strange they double-checked
a sample that already tested normal.
So, in our opinion,
someone who could read a crystal ball
knew that there was artificial
testosterone in the urine.
[Attilio] Schwazer's urine,
which had initially tested negative,
later on turns out to be positive.
A true scientific miracle.
[Marco] If I wanted an athlete
to test positive for testosterone,
the easiest thing to do
is put testosterone
in a water bottle,
a drink, a cup of coffee.
CALICE
31 DECEMBER 2015
[Gerhard] A few days
before New Year's Day,
Alex had been training
on the riverbanks of Isarco,
where his car had previously been robbed,
but without damages.
I trained for a long time
the morning of the 31st.
[Sandro] When he trains for a long time,
he carries a water bottle on him,
tied to his belt.
He leaves another
full bottle of water in his car.
He leaves the car parked
for about one hour.
So, this could be an opportunity.
One or two days before the check,
someone put something in his water bottle.
A perfect crime.
[tense ambient music playing]
[Alex] I hoped at the time
that soon there'd be an announcement where
the WADA, the laboratory, the IAAF
apologized for an error in the tests.
So, I decided to carry on training anyway
during those horrible days.
Alex was really discouraged,
but he was still keeping hope alive.
- [Sandro in Italian] Go.
- [watch beeping]
[Kathrin] He was training every day,
without knowing if it made any sense.
[Alex] The training I did
in that awful state of mind
I can't describe
what I felt while walking.
He would stop, all of a sudden,
needing to cry.
But he couldn't even cry.
He had this sense
of suffocation in his chest.
Then he'd start walking again,
and I'd say,
"Alex, we can't go on like this.
This is torture."
He started saying, "No, I have to train."
Poor thing. He was torn apart,
and he was trying to go on.
That's when I started to
appreciate the fortune
I had found in misfortune.
I was fortunate that he
completely believes in me.
And supports me.
Because, by myself
How do you get through
something like that?
[reporter in Italian] There are many
obscure aspects to the Schwazer case.
The Italian racewalker's staff
put on a united front
in front of TV cameras
to defend his innocence
to the whole sporting world.
We have tried to keep hope alive
by continuing to train,
as innocent people.
At times, he'd stop suddenly and ask,
"Prof, why did they do this to me?"
We've spent so many days, me on the bike
and him walking.
And I don't know what to tell him.
Because this boy,
after making a mistake,
got back in the game with a courage
that I'd like to see
how many of us adults have.
[in English] Donati was
I'd say gutted,
but also extremely devastated.
[in Italian] I have always succeeded.
I don't know if I will succeed this time
because this is professionalized fraud,
but we're gonna try.
[in English] Schwazer's positive result
became a huge case.
Both in Italy and the rest of the world.
Some believed that his water bottle
had been swapped.
Others immediately realized
that the urine had been manipulated.
In the early afternoon of December 16th,
the International Federation of Athletics
hired a German company,
called GQS, from Stuttgart,
to do the check January 1st.
Why so much notice?
The time between a check being decided
and carried out is usually three days.
Not 15.
BOLZANO
16 DECEMBER 2015
[Gerhard] If we look at the timing,
we realize that the order for this check
was given immediately after the hearing
where Alex testified against the doctors
of the International Federation
of Athletics,
the IAAF,
and against Italian doctor, Mr. Fischetto.
[Alex in Italian] Fischetto screwed up.
He had the values in his database.
All he had to do was lift a finger.
But he never did anything.
[Marco in English] It's unthinkable that
Schwazer testifies in the late morning,
and that in the same hours of the same day
an order is given
to set up a plot against him,
by scheduling a surprise
check 15 days later.
[in Italian] I just need to walk,
and that's it. Talk? Everyone can talk.
[Attilio] While working on this story,
I kept thinking of a date,
the 1st of January.
What was the point of doing an
anti-doping check January 1st, at dawn?
[tense music playing]
CALICE
1 JANUARY 2016
It was really strange to have them come
and do my check on January 1st.
That's the day most people would like
to wake up a few hours later.
I'm not in Mr. Schwazer's head.
Maybe it was a good period of the year
where the risks were lower,
he had a little bit of help
from testosterone during that time.
And that's where he did it,
and he was not expecting
on 1 January a test.
[Attilio] On any other day,
that urine would have been taken
directly to the Cologne laboratory.
But New Year's Day is not any other day.
The Cologne laboratory is closed.
So, Schwazer's urine,
before reaching Cologne,
is taken to Stuttgart.
And is dropped off
at the office of the inspector
who performed the test
a few hours earlier.
[Sandro] According to
the official records,
the inspector dropped off Schwazer's urine
in his office in Stuttgart
on January 1st at 3:00 p.m.
The day after, January 2nd at 6:00 a.m.,
he handed it over to the courier,
who then took it to the anti-doping lab
in Cologne for analysis.
This is the apparently perfect
custody chain described in the records.
[Attilio] Digging deeper, however,
it turns out things didn't happen
exactly as described in the report.
The inspector didn't hand the samples
at 6:00 a.m. on January 2nd
to the courier who took them to Cologne.
The inspector, in fact,
never met the courier.
[Gerhard] The samples stayed there
in the Stuttgart office,
and at least six, seven people
had the keys to access the office.
So the whole chain of control
guaranteeing the protection of the athlete
during the process was violated.
The inspector arrived at his office
in Stuttgart at 3:00 p.m.
and called his boss.
The boss told him there was no need
for him to come back the following day
to give the samples to the courier.
It was enough time for him to leave
Schwazer's samples in the office
and leave the keys. That's it.
He filled in the report,
left the keys, and went home.
[Sandro] So he actually left the urine
for testing at 3:00 p.m. on January 1st,
but the report states he handed over
the urine by hand on January 2nd.
But you still write it down for the 1st?
That means the record is false.
It was written ahead of time,
so the check had to be called off.
Because the procedure is invalidated.
What we have is strict rules
on what has to be followed
when you transport a sample.
Everything was recorded properly
and documented,
so there was no issue
with the chain of custody.
[Attilio] Schwazer's samples were
left alone in that office for 15 hours.
So, it seems obvious to me
that during those 15 hours
all sorts of things could have happened.
And they did happen.
[dramatic music playing]
[reporter 1 in Italian] Schwazer wants to
be in Rio. To do so, he needs to demonstrate
that the urine sample, suspiciously taken
on New Year's Day, was manipulated.
[Mario in English]
This thesis is credible, believable.
There are many
obscure elements in this story.
Obscure, but still all too clear.
[reporter 1 in Italian]
They're working to prove fraud
which used the Alto Adige man
to punish his trainer Donati
for his lifelong commitment
to combat doping masters
and for reporting the strange links
between corrupt leaders of the IAAF
and the Russian Athletics Federation.
[in English] It's a serous accusation.
If they can prove Schwazer was framed,
the whole anti-doping system collapses.
[reporter 2 in Italian] He needs to run,
not with his legs this time,
but with certified documents and appeals.
But very little time remains.
July 18th, in fact, is the final deadline
for registering for the Rio Games.
[in English] Alex wanted to do everything
he could to prove his innocence.
And there was hope.
Until the end, there's hope.
[Alex panting]
[Sandro] That's the part
that was up to us.
Even if tomorrow we get more bullshit
from the sports system,
this has to last your whole life, Alex.
You must stay a person
who's turned his life around.
We brought the case
to the CAS of Lausanne,
the anti-doping court.
CALICE
27 JULY 2016
[soft ambient music playing]
[Gerhard] It just arrived now?
[man] Just now.
What did they say?
[phone ringing]
- [Sandro] Gerhard?
- [Gerhard] Hello?
[Sandro] Yes, hi.
[Gerhard] So, they're saying
they're not suspending us,
but they say they want to issue
an emergency judgement about Alex.
[Sandro] Yeah.
[Gerhard] And therefore make a decision
before the Olympics so it'll be settled.
The CAS of Lausanne
will give us a true hearing.
Because we said,
"Don't judge us like that."
"Let's meet in a court,
and in the court
there will be our accusers,
and we'll be there to defend ourselves
in front of a jury."
If that's the case,
would it be possible to restore
his participation in the Olympics?
- We have to figure that out, because
- [Gerhard] Where's Alex?
[Sandro] Alex is here, yes, he's here.
He can hear our conversation.
[Gerhard] Oh. I don't know
how much he heard,
but he needs to get to work.
Yes.
[Gerhard] He needs to go train,
because there's a 50% chance
to be reintegrated.
[Sandro] Uh, look, Gerhard.
Let's make sure that's the case,
because I'm sure you understand.
[Gerhard] But it's true. It's true.
Yeah, because for Alex,
now it's tough to train, you know?
He He's traumatized now.
[Gerhard] Let's say,
the way things are now, it's 50-50.
[Kathrin] It was his dream
to compete in Rio.
He wanted to show
that he could win
without doping.
- [Gerhard] Okay, bye.
- [Sandro] Bye-bye.
If all goes well
and I do well at the Olympics,
you all shut up, okay?
[all laughing]
After two months like this,
it's about survival.
[Sandro] So, the International
Federation of Athletics,
represented by Capdevielle,
who is oblivious to the Russian doping,
may I remind you.
He objects.
He says, "No, we need
a few days to study the papers."
What papers? They're all in your hands.
LAUSANNE
[Sandro] So, after Capdevielle's request,
the CAS gives in,
and says this hearing
must be held in Rio de Janeiro.
ROME
5 AUGUST 2016
We were stuck in this situation
and had to rush preparations for the trip.
I get it, but do you have
to do this at the eleventh hour,
right before the competitions start?
He was supposed to
participate in two races.
It's perfectly fine to do it
like 15 days earlier,
without triggering this crazy rush
from Italy to Brazil.
We strongly advised Alex against it,
because preparing
a proper defense strategy
in just a few days isn't so easy.
[Alex] I wanted to go.
Because I had endured these insane weeks
training without giving up.
- Hello, Gerhard.
- Alex.
Everyone was against the idea.
Including Sandro and Gerhard.
Not Kathy, because Kathy
has always supported me.
[woman speaking indistinctly over PA]
He asked me
whether he should go to Rio or not.
And I said, "Go. You must try."
Alex, from his point of view,
thought, "I can't give up."
"If there's one in a thousand chance,
I'll take it."
We went to Rio as if
we were about to face a guillotine.
If there's even a slight chance,
I want to try.
Because I'm innocent.
[tense theme music playing]
[tense ambient music playing]
CALICE
31 DECEMBER 2015
[indistinct conversation]
[man] Happy New Year!
[Sandro] The night of December 31st,
two men travel from Austria.
[woman laughing]
[Sandro] The International Federation
of Athletics commissioned them
to carry out an anti-doping test
on Alex Schwazer on January 1st.
[music intensifies]
[doorbell chimes]
At 7:00 a.m., I got a call from my mom.
She said, "The inspectors are here
for the drug test."
Alex came up 20 minutes later,
and it was done. Like usual.
[Alex] They did a test on my urine
and they also took a blood sample.
It was a full check.
After a few weeks,
the Cologne laboratory sent the results
to the International
Federation of Athletics.
Negative. Negative urine.
ALEX SCHWAZER: RUNNING FOR MY TRUTH
ROME
NOVEMBER 2015
[Alex] 2015, I was in Rome with Sandro.
We were friends now. Good friends.
[both chuckling]
I'm grateful for the time I spent in Rome.
I was able to be,
first and foremost, a person.
[Sandro] Look, they want
a picture with you.
- Got it.
- Thank you!
Thank you. Congratulations.
Being in the Nomentano district
was like being part of a family.
I knew a lot of people there.
You always find something
to talk about with them.
There's always a subject.
There's always this cheerfulness.
[Marie Louise] Alex seemed so happy.
He was in his element again.
In his In his passion, in his sport.
I was happy.
[indistinct chatter]
[Alex] I wasn't seeing any athletes.
Only ordinary people.
And this, of course,
helped me a lot to avoid drifting
into seeing myself
just as an athlete.
Should I tell a joke?
[people laughing]
Donati was like a father to him.
Like family.
But let's not forget that he lived in Rome
in a small hotel, all alone,
training in the streets of Rome.
ALEX'S LAWYER
The people there adopted him.
They saw that he was a good kid.
[Giovanni] He was training
in the fields and roads,
with no opportunity
for official validation,
being disqualified,
but as rumors had it,
he was as fast as a train.
I decided to test him again,
on a longer distance, 20 kilometers,
in the Montesacro district
where we stayed.
- [in Italian] Go Alex!
- Go Alex!
[cheering]
[in English] It was nice,
because the locals got involved too.
[man in Italian] Go, Alex!
Give it all!
[in English] He did a 20-kilometer test,
while I followed on a bike,
with a crowd watching.
[onlookers cheering]
There was huge support.
A bit of chaos too,
but they don't bother you.
No, no. They, uh
They enrich the training you're doing.
Which is awesome.
[Sandro] I asked some judges to spectate,
and they said Schwazer was walking
with perfect technique.
I anticipated we'd be criticized
on this particular aspect.
Schwazer did the best
world performance of the year.
This confirmed he was
a rehabilitated athlete at a high level.
The only trainer, in my opinion,
who was able to really bring out
Alex Schwazer's full potential
was Sandro Donati.
He was able to tackle Alex Schwazer's
training in a global way
JOURNALIS
from a biomechanical view,
and helped him improve.
Wonderful step.
I was immediately attacked
by the usual suspects.
Barra's friends, Barra himself.
They put out pictures trying to prove
that Schwazer wasn't walking but running.
Nonsense.
[Giovanni] There were certainly
a lot of people who were hoping
for this odd couple to fail.
Sport directors were wishing him to fail,
despite his 30 years serving
that federation, or that society.
I mean, it's disgusting but true.
These men were trying to
influence the judges,
and to immediately create an opposition,
because the World Championship
was scheduled in just a few weeks.
ROME
MARCH 2016
[Sandro] The managers of the federation
and the competition judges
wanted to verify whether Schwazer
was entitled to enter
this World Championship.
I performed really well,
and everyone was thrilled.
But he seemed concerned.
He said he wasn't sure they'd
let Alex compete in the World Cup.
April 28th, 2016,
Schwazer's disqualification would expire.
Barra, as expected, wrote to the head
of the Athletic Federation.
"I beg you. Do not call him."
This extreme attempt by Barra
was aimed at preventing
Schwazer from qualifying
for the Olympic Games.
Sandro has always tried to protect me.
So he handled this stuff
without telling me.
The Athletic Federation
went its own way and called him,
but I lived those last few days
before the World Championship in Rome
with the unnerving feeling
of being a target.
However, much worse was in the air.
[ominous music playing]
[church bell tolling]
ROME
MAY 2016
One morning, Sandro Donati calls me
and says he has a story to share.
So he starts telling me this story.
At some point, I interrupt him and I say,
"I'm not a sports journalist."
"I've been covering
the Mafia for 40 years."
But he keeps talking.
On the same day
Barra wrote that open letter,
another letter was sent.
It was signed by Maria Zamora.
From abroad.
More or less, she said this.
"A German academic has spoken about you,
accusing you of being involved
in the Russians' doping,
of being paid by the Russians,
and having a middleman,
an agent called Dmitry
with whom you are in close contact."
Then I understood
it wasn't a sports story,
but a Mafia story. A frightening one.
Professor Donati said
he feared for his life.
[Sandro] I got scared,
because the wording
was different from the sport world's.
So I imagined it could be intelligence,
or some scumbags
who are used to threatening people.
[Mario] He was vague.
He didn't tell me anything,
except that he was being attacked.
[Sandro] If you accuse me
of working with the Russians,
you're really telling me,
"We know it was you
who brought up the database
and the Russian involvement."
The database would never have come out
had I not tested positive.
[reporter in Italian]
The investigation into Schwazer,
conducted by the Chief Prosecutor
of Bolzano, Guido Rispoli,
led to the seizing of the database
kept by former federal doctor,
Giuseppe Fischetto,
who worked with the Athletics Federation
to carry out anti-doping checks.
[in English] When they found the database,
some individuals,
such as Dr. Fischetto, got wiretapped,
and based on their conversations,
it was clear they were very worried.
[Fischetto in Italian]
I hope the news isn't leaked.
There'd be an international outcry.
WIRETAPPING OF JUNE 15, 2013
[in English] The examples were very clear,
perfectly nailing those countries
that had a significant number of athletes
with abnormal values
found in the database.
[Fischetto in Italian] Imagine they
got hold of the data on the Russians,
the Turks, or the others.
Because I am on, as you know,
the World Committee of the IAAF.
Anyway, this kraut has to be killed.
[in English] I was scared to hear this.
I was upset because, you know,
these people mean business.
BERLIN
[Attilio] German journalist Hajo Seppelt
had already been investigating
the Russians' doping,
and already published
some athlete testimonies.
Then, suddenly, someone sends him
that precious archive, the database.
And the case blows up.
[reporter 1 in Italian] More than 1,000
Russian athletes across 30 disciplines
were subjected to a state doping program.
A cover-up involving
institutions of all levels.
[reporter 2] The doping scandal
that is devastating Russian sport emerged
as part of the Schwazer investigation
carried out by the Bolzano judiciary.
[in English] That database,
which I have named
"the database of shame,"
was evidence of a parallel system,
where doping was not fought
and sanctioned,
but merely recorded in an archive.
The powerful
International Federation of Athletics,
which writes and enforces the rules,
was breaking the rules themselves.
[reporter 3 in Italian] A veritable
earthquake is gripping world athletics
following reports published by ARD
and the Sunday Times.
PARIS
2 DECEMBER 2015
[in English] It seemed insane to me that
the International Federation of Athletics,
which handled a billion-dollar business,
in sponsorships and broadcasting rights,
and decided the countries where
the most important competitions were held,
also carried out the drug tests.
So, what was WADA there for?
Was it an empty box?
WADA is the world regulator.
WADA'S GENERAL DIRECTOR
Our role is not to do anti-doping tests.
We actually don't do anti-doping tests.
Our role is to have regulations,
is to accredit the laboratories,
is to do scientific research,
is to provide education, et cetera.
So, the World Athletics, or the IAAF,
they are responsible
to organize anti-doping for athletics.
But in order to do that properly,
they need to follow our rules
in the way they operate.
And we have, obviously,
the possibility to audit them,
make sure that they do it right.
The WADA, World Anti-Doping Agency,
was aware of the Russian athlete reports.
And it was aware of the data
included in the database
sent to them by Professor Donati himself.
But it's only after
the television coverage
that they start doing something about it.
So they appoint an independent
inquiry commission.
MUNICH
14 JANUARY 2016
[man] Good afternoon, everyone.
Welcome to this World Anti-Doping Agency
independent commission
press conference here in Munich.
Today we're here to listen to findings
on a leaked blood values database
released by the Sunday Times newspaper
and ARD Television.
The conclusions of the report
are extremely clear.
This database does not show
any wrongdoing from World Athletics.
The substance of the Russian scandal
does not come from there.
Watching the press conference,
I quickly realized
it was a hall of mirrors.
It seemed that the committee
appointed by the WADA
had been very carefully curbing
the devastating effects
of the press investigations,
and that they had scapegoated
the senior managers
of the Athletics Federation,
who were obviously finished,
by now, with the Russians.
The ability of Lord Coe
to remain at the head of the IAAF,
I think it's a fabulous opportunity
for the IAAF.
All our fingers are crossed
in that respect.
[Attilio] The cards were shuffled,
but the deck was the same.
Vice-president Sebastian Coe
replaces president Lamine Diack,
who was recently arrested
for being on the Russians' payroll.
Meanwhile, in the anti-doping department,
Thomas Capdevielle replaced his boss,
Gabriel Dollé,
who got caught with $50,000
hidden in his washing machine.
[Sandro] The idea that Sebastian Coe
and Capdevielle
didn't know anything is nonsense.
It's like hiding behind a finger,
but it's the smallest finger, the pinkie.
Professor Sandro Donati's problems
boil down to one thing.
He doesn't respect the number one rule
of the big family of world athletics.
The silence rule.
[in Italian] There are other hotspots,
and we need to investigate
other countries,
such as Türkiye and others,
some even European.
[in English] After the latest attack
against the WADA,
it was war between him
and the bosses of world athletics.
Suddenly, after 12 years
of intense collaboration,
I was described as a fraud,
faking a work relationship with WADA.
It led to an injunction letter,
where I was told that I could no longer
publicly introduce myself
in media interviews
as a consultant for the organization.
I was shocked by this,
because the role I had with them
went far beyond being a consultant.
[Attilio] The deeper I delved
into this story,
the more I understood
why Professor Donati was scared.
Because he had entered a world
which was similar
to the world
I had dealt with my whole life.
A world where, if one man speaks out,
he's considered a disgrace.
And if he keeps talking,
he's considered a danger,
to be eliminated at all costs.
ROME
8 MAY 2016
[cell phone vibrating]
[Sandro] The morning of the race,
I received a call.
On the other end of the line
was an international racewalk judge
whom I knew.
Nicola Maggio.
[in Italian] Hello, it's Maggio.
I imagine this isn't the best time.
Sandro, please, tell him once again,
right up until the race starts,
"Let Tallent win."
[in English] Tallent was the Australian
holder of the Olympic title.
[in Italian] Please tell him
to let Tallent win. Okay?
[in English] Receiving a call like that,
just before an important competition,
can be terrifying.
I thought, "If he has so openly,
explicitly asked me to rig the race,
then if Alex doesn't do it,
they will disqualify him during the race."
[dramatic music playing]
[announcer in Italian]
Good morning and happy Sunday.
The World Cup in Rome, 2016 begins!
This will be a long 50 kilometers.
[in English] That race weighed on my mind.
Because of the journey
it took to get there.
[Sandro] After 30 years,
I was finally returning to sports,
and even wearing
the national team tracksuit
because I was Alex's trainer.
Before I raced as an athlete,
but in Rome, I participated as a man.
[speaking Italian]
[in English] This race was
a redemption after all he suffered.
That's why we all went.
I have to say,
it was emotional for me too,
because, for Alex, this event was a dream.
No one could predict exactly
how he would fare in a real race.
He was happy to see me,
but he was focused.
He was truly in his element.
Kathy was nervous.
Really on edge.
Because she'd never been to a race.
Plus, 50 kilometers is long, you know?
[pulsing electronic drumbeat playing]
- [crowd cheering]
- [stirring music playing]
[Giulia] It was so nice
to see him racing again.
I said, "This is it. It's all over."
[Sandro] When the race started,
about seven or eight walkers
got to the front.
[Mario] Alex was very restrained
in the first part of the race.
He almost looked like a car
being forced to go too slowly,
considering the power
it could express at that moment.
Around the 25th kilometer,
the pace was so slow
that I decided to speed up a bit.
I didn't mean to pass them.
But no one could keep up with me.
[crowd cheering]
[Sandro] I was aware that the pace
was incredibly easy for him.
It would take better athletes
to keep up with Alex.
[crowd cheering]
I felt like a kid again. [chuckles]
And really felt the drive to do this.
[Sandro] Suddenly, I saw him ahead
of everyone else by at least 200 meters.
Honestly, I was freaking out.
I said, "Alex, calm down!"
And he said something like,
"This is like training for me."
[crowd cheering]
[Kathrin] I was enchanted.
It was wonderful to see him
with such elegance.
I was almost sweating with him.
I was feeling his struggle.
[crowd cheering]
Bravo, Alex!
[Alex] During the race I thought,
"Shame it will all be over in an hour."
[Sandro] So, gradually,
he had more and more of a lead
over this Jared Tallent.
The only thing I could do,
about ten kilometers
before the finish line,
I said, "Alex, you don't need
to increase your lead more."
"Just finish it easy."
[crowd cheering]
[emotional orchestral music playing]
The last kilometer,
I thought of the Olympics,
and how finishing would feel.
[cheering continues]
[announcer in Italian] Alex Schwazer
comes back, 8 years later, to win,
following a terrible story
that saw him disqualified
for three years and nine months.
He will have an incredible victory.
This is proof,
in view of the redemption journey
he's been on,
that he can achieve a great result
without resorting
to the shady doping rooms.
[crowd cheering]
[announcer] Three hours and 39 minutes,
with a standing ovation from many
en route to the finish line,
and surely plenty of emotion.
[Mario in English] Three hours
and 39 minutes in a 50K race
is the speed needed to win the Olympics.
With a huge lead.
[cheering continues]
[Alex] At the finish line,
I actually lifted Sandro.
Literally lifted him.
I felt so strong, I carried him.
[presenter] Alex Schwazer!
[Sandro] It was gratifying
to successfully relaunch him.
[in Italian] Impressive performance.
A great story.
Unique, difficult, tormented.
I believe in the man's revenge.
Anyway, long live sport.
Alex Schwazer dominates
a 50-kilometer racewalk at world level.
He has qualified for Rio 2016.
A victory applauded in Italy,
but is met with criticism elsewhere.
[reporter] Tallent dubbed
the unluckiest athlete in the world
after a second-place finish
to drug cheat Schwazer,
writes the Herald Sun.
[in English]
I don't really have any respect for him
[reporter, in Italian]
"I don't have any respect for him."
"I still believe he's lied
and changed his story many times."
[in English] I just ignore certain things.
I'm happy to confront anyone.
But they need to be arguing in good faith.
Otherwise, it's a waste.
Alex had finished it
with huge energy margins.
He was running so fast,
I decided to get him qualified for
the 20K race and do both the Olympiads.
We were leading in both races.
We had our pick.
We had the numbers to say
that both the 20 and 50K race
would result in the same medal.
Gold.
ROME
21 JUNE 2016
[Alex] June 21st was our last day in Rome,
because Sandro and I wanted to spend
the last month in Vipiteno
because of the nice weather.
I had left a day before him
for the Alto Adige,
because my plan was to follow Alex
up until his departure for the Olympics.
Finally, he had a chance to come home.
We could see each other.
We were so happy.
It should have been one of
the happiest days of our life.
I had Kathy at home now,
and I could train for the Olympics,
where I was sure to score
two great results.
No doubt about it.
BRAIES
21 JUNE 2016
June 21st, afternoon, I was in Braies.
I will always remember it
as a terrible memory.
[tense music playing]
[Sandro] I got a call from head of the
Athletics Federation, Alfio Giomi.
I could tell he was upset.
He said to me,
"So, do you know what happened?"
I didn't have the slightest clue
what had happened.
"You don't know?" "Know what?"
"Alex is positive!"
[tense music swells]
It was a terrifying moment.
Impossible to describe what I felt.
In addition, I had to inform Alex.
So I had to call and tell him.
He says, "Yes, Prof?" Very cheerful.
"They found you positive."
Complete silence.
[Alex] I blanked after that.
I don't even remember
how I got to my parents' place.
Don't remember.
I blanked it all out.
[Kathrin] Alex was shocked that night,
and I tried to talk to him, to understand.
Did someone make a mistake, or?
Logically, he didn't have an answer.
And I was lost for words too.
[reporter in Italian] A new storm
brews for Alex Schwazer.
[Sandro in English] That night
was a nightmare. I drove to Alex's place,
and I really wanted to get there,
because I thought he must be miserable.
It was late at night.
I drove the wrong way.
I was a complete mess.
I don't know
if I've ever felt so bad in my life.
So I finally got there,
in the mountains where they live,
and the first thing he said to me,
"Prof, this time I won't make it."
At that moment, I wasn't sure if and how
I would get through this thing.
A second time, but being innocent.
I was very worried.
[reporter in Italian]
"Stop Alex Schwazer."
The order given today
by the International Athletics Federation,
who suspended the Italian racewalker
with immediate effect.
[in English] My first thought was,
"He duped us. Disgusting."
[in Italian] I'm upset.
Neither disappointed, nor angry.
PRESIDENT OF FIDAL
This kind of thing
really leaves its mark on you.
[in English] I was completely disoriented.
I tried to retrace things mentally.
But nothing made sense.
[in Italian] I'm for a lifetime ban.
SWIMMER
I think a lot of athletes will agree.
This is a nightmare for me
because it's the worst thing
that could happen.
[reporter 1] No tears or excuses
at Alex Schwazer's press conference.
Some suggest a split personality.
VICTIM OR LIAR?
Someone probably doesn't want me
to go to the Olympics.
But I can promise you
that we will sort this out.
[reporter 2] His trainer, Sandro Donati,
who has stuck with him thus far,
will not abandon Alex.
[Sandro] This story sent him
back into the abyss.
I thought, "They did such a good job."
"How am I going to explain to people
that this is not a relapse?"
[in English] I expected Sandro Donati
to react by standing firm by Alex's side.
I think the idea of betrayal
was unbearable to him.
[in Italian] I did not dope.
Either someone gave me this substance
in the days prior,
or the test was manipulated.
[camera shutters clicking]
[somber ambient music playing]
[Alex in English] I remember
the difficulty in explaining myself.
I mean, I don't even know what happened.
All I can say is that I didn't dope.
[Sandro] We knew with absolute certainty
that Alex had not been doping.
And I had substantial
evidence to prove it.
[Marie Louise] Alex told me,
"All my tests were all negative."
"It's impossible."
"They want to ruin me."
And seeing him so miserable
was so terrible.
[Attilio] The news of
Schwazer's positive results arrived
just a few days
before his departure for Rio,
for the Olympics.
But the tests had been
performed six months earlier,
precisely on January 1st, 2016.
Too many things
didn't add up in that story.
[Sandro] This positive
was completely laughable.
They found a tiny amount of testosterone.
This tiny amount completely clashes
with the absence of testosterone
found in all previous checks,
as well as the following checks.
Only a madman would dope
with testosterone just once,
in minimal quantity, because it wouldn't
have any effect whatsoever.
[Attilio] Schwazer's samples
had already been analyzed
at the Cologne laboratory,
one of the most advanced in the world.
After that, they were
supposed to be destroyed.
But, in a plot twist,
they needed a more accurate check.
As far as the Cologne lab
was concerned, that test was over.
Negative result, end of story.
The International Federation,
however, sees beyond.
And after a few weeks, they decide to
request a second test by the laboratory.
As if they'd had a revelation.
[Olivier] The sample was identified
as suspicious not by the Cologne lab.
It was identified as suspicious
by the Montreal lab,
acting as an organ who looks
at a number of parameters
of an athlete over time.
It's very strange they double-checked
a sample that already tested normal.
So, in our opinion,
someone who could read a crystal ball
knew that there was artificial
testosterone in the urine.
[Attilio] Schwazer's urine,
which had initially tested negative,
later on turns out to be positive.
A true scientific miracle.
[Marco] If I wanted an athlete
to test positive for testosterone,
the easiest thing to do
is put testosterone
in a water bottle,
a drink, a cup of coffee.
CALICE
31 DECEMBER 2015
[Gerhard] A few days
before New Year's Day,
Alex had been training
on the riverbanks of Isarco,
where his car had previously been robbed,
but without damages.
I trained for a long time
the morning of the 31st.
[Sandro] When he trains for a long time,
he carries a water bottle on him,
tied to his belt.
He leaves another
full bottle of water in his car.
He leaves the car parked
for about one hour.
So, this could be an opportunity.
One or two days before the check,
someone put something in his water bottle.
A perfect crime.
[tense ambient music playing]
[Alex] I hoped at the time
that soon there'd be an announcement where
the WADA, the laboratory, the IAAF
apologized for an error in the tests.
So, I decided to carry on training anyway
during those horrible days.
Alex was really discouraged,
but he was still keeping hope alive.
- [Sandro in Italian] Go.
- [watch beeping]
[Kathrin] He was training every day,
without knowing if it made any sense.
[Alex] The training I did
in that awful state of mind
I can't describe
what I felt while walking.
He would stop, all of a sudden,
needing to cry.
But he couldn't even cry.
He had this sense
of suffocation in his chest.
Then he'd start walking again,
and I'd say,
"Alex, we can't go on like this.
This is torture."
He started saying, "No, I have to train."
Poor thing. He was torn apart,
and he was trying to go on.
That's when I started to
appreciate the fortune
I had found in misfortune.
I was fortunate that he
completely believes in me.
And supports me.
Because, by myself
How do you get through
something like that?
[reporter in Italian] There are many
obscure aspects to the Schwazer case.
The Italian racewalker's staff
put on a united front
in front of TV cameras
to defend his innocence
to the whole sporting world.
We have tried to keep hope alive
by continuing to train,
as innocent people.
At times, he'd stop suddenly and ask,
"Prof, why did they do this to me?"
We've spent so many days, me on the bike
and him walking.
And I don't know what to tell him.
Because this boy,
after making a mistake,
got back in the game with a courage
that I'd like to see
how many of us adults have.
[in English] Donati was
I'd say gutted,
but also extremely devastated.
[in Italian] I have always succeeded.
I don't know if I will succeed this time
because this is professionalized fraud,
but we're gonna try.
[in English] Schwazer's positive result
became a huge case.
Both in Italy and the rest of the world.
Some believed that his water bottle
had been swapped.
Others immediately realized
that the urine had been manipulated.
In the early afternoon of December 16th,
the International Federation of Athletics
hired a German company,
called GQS, from Stuttgart,
to do the check January 1st.
Why so much notice?
The time between a check being decided
and carried out is usually three days.
Not 15.
BOLZANO
16 DECEMBER 2015
[Gerhard] If we look at the timing,
we realize that the order for this check
was given immediately after the hearing
where Alex testified against the doctors
of the International Federation
of Athletics,
the IAAF,
and against Italian doctor, Mr. Fischetto.
[Alex in Italian] Fischetto screwed up.
He had the values in his database.
All he had to do was lift a finger.
But he never did anything.
[Marco in English] It's unthinkable that
Schwazer testifies in the late morning,
and that in the same hours of the same day
an order is given
to set up a plot against him,
by scheduling a surprise
check 15 days later.
[in Italian] I just need to walk,
and that's it. Talk? Everyone can talk.
[Attilio] While working on this story,
I kept thinking of a date,
the 1st of January.
What was the point of doing an
anti-doping check January 1st, at dawn?
[tense music playing]
CALICE
1 JANUARY 2016
It was really strange to have them come
and do my check on January 1st.
That's the day most people would like
to wake up a few hours later.
I'm not in Mr. Schwazer's head.
Maybe it was a good period of the year
where the risks were lower,
he had a little bit of help
from testosterone during that time.
And that's where he did it,
and he was not expecting
on 1 January a test.
[Attilio] On any other day,
that urine would have been taken
directly to the Cologne laboratory.
But New Year's Day is not any other day.
The Cologne laboratory is closed.
So, Schwazer's urine,
before reaching Cologne,
is taken to Stuttgart.
And is dropped off
at the office of the inspector
who performed the test
a few hours earlier.
[Sandro] According to
the official records,
the inspector dropped off Schwazer's urine
in his office in Stuttgart
on January 1st at 3:00 p.m.
The day after, January 2nd at 6:00 a.m.,
he handed it over to the courier,
who then took it to the anti-doping lab
in Cologne for analysis.
This is the apparently perfect
custody chain described in the records.
[Attilio] Digging deeper, however,
it turns out things didn't happen
exactly as described in the report.
The inspector didn't hand the samples
at 6:00 a.m. on January 2nd
to the courier who took them to Cologne.
The inspector, in fact,
never met the courier.
[Gerhard] The samples stayed there
in the Stuttgart office,
and at least six, seven people
had the keys to access the office.
So the whole chain of control
guaranteeing the protection of the athlete
during the process was violated.
The inspector arrived at his office
in Stuttgart at 3:00 p.m.
and called his boss.
The boss told him there was no need
for him to come back the following day
to give the samples to the courier.
It was enough time for him to leave
Schwazer's samples in the office
and leave the keys. That's it.
He filled in the report,
left the keys, and went home.
[Sandro] So he actually left the urine
for testing at 3:00 p.m. on January 1st,
but the report states he handed over
the urine by hand on January 2nd.
But you still write it down for the 1st?
That means the record is false.
It was written ahead of time,
so the check had to be called off.
Because the procedure is invalidated.
What we have is strict rules
on what has to be followed
when you transport a sample.
Everything was recorded properly
and documented,
so there was no issue
with the chain of custody.
[Attilio] Schwazer's samples were
left alone in that office for 15 hours.
So, it seems obvious to me
that during those 15 hours
all sorts of things could have happened.
And they did happen.
[dramatic music playing]
[reporter 1 in Italian] Schwazer wants to
be in Rio. To do so, he needs to demonstrate
that the urine sample, suspiciously taken
on New Year's Day, was manipulated.
[Mario in English]
This thesis is credible, believable.
There are many
obscure elements in this story.
Obscure, but still all too clear.
[reporter 1 in Italian]
They're working to prove fraud
which used the Alto Adige man
to punish his trainer Donati
for his lifelong commitment
to combat doping masters
and for reporting the strange links
between corrupt leaders of the IAAF
and the Russian Athletics Federation.
[in English] It's a serous accusation.
If they can prove Schwazer was framed,
the whole anti-doping system collapses.
[reporter 2 in Italian] He needs to run,
not with his legs this time,
but with certified documents and appeals.
But very little time remains.
July 18th, in fact, is the final deadline
for registering for the Rio Games.
[in English] Alex wanted to do everything
he could to prove his innocence.
And there was hope.
Until the end, there's hope.
[Alex panting]
[Sandro] That's the part
that was up to us.
Even if tomorrow we get more bullshit
from the sports system,
this has to last your whole life, Alex.
You must stay a person
who's turned his life around.
We brought the case
to the CAS of Lausanne,
the anti-doping court.
CALICE
27 JULY 2016
[soft ambient music playing]
[Gerhard] It just arrived now?
[man] Just now.
What did they say?
[phone ringing]
- [Sandro] Gerhard?
- [Gerhard] Hello?
[Sandro] Yes, hi.
[Gerhard] So, they're saying
they're not suspending us,
but they say they want to issue
an emergency judgement about Alex.
[Sandro] Yeah.
[Gerhard] And therefore make a decision
before the Olympics so it'll be settled.
The CAS of Lausanne
will give us a true hearing.
Because we said,
"Don't judge us like that."
"Let's meet in a court,
and in the court
there will be our accusers,
and we'll be there to defend ourselves
in front of a jury."
If that's the case,
would it be possible to restore
his participation in the Olympics?
- We have to figure that out, because
- [Gerhard] Where's Alex?
[Sandro] Alex is here, yes, he's here.
He can hear our conversation.
[Gerhard] Oh. I don't know
how much he heard,
but he needs to get to work.
Yes.
[Gerhard] He needs to go train,
because there's a 50% chance
to be reintegrated.
[Sandro] Uh, look, Gerhard.
Let's make sure that's the case,
because I'm sure you understand.
[Gerhard] But it's true. It's true.
Yeah, because for Alex,
now it's tough to train, you know?
He He's traumatized now.
[Gerhard] Let's say,
the way things are now, it's 50-50.
[Kathrin] It was his dream
to compete in Rio.
He wanted to show
that he could win
without doping.
- [Gerhard] Okay, bye.
- [Sandro] Bye-bye.
If all goes well
and I do well at the Olympics,
you all shut up, okay?
[all laughing]
After two months like this,
it's about survival.
[Sandro] So, the International
Federation of Athletics,
represented by Capdevielle,
who is oblivious to the Russian doping,
may I remind you.
He objects.
He says, "No, we need
a few days to study the papers."
What papers? They're all in your hands.
LAUSANNE
[Sandro] So, after Capdevielle's request,
the CAS gives in,
and says this hearing
must be held in Rio de Janeiro.
ROME
5 AUGUST 2016
We were stuck in this situation
and had to rush preparations for the trip.
I get it, but do you have
to do this at the eleventh hour,
right before the competitions start?
He was supposed to
participate in two races.
It's perfectly fine to do it
like 15 days earlier,
without triggering this crazy rush
from Italy to Brazil.
We strongly advised Alex against it,
because preparing
a proper defense strategy
in just a few days isn't so easy.
[Alex] I wanted to go.
Because I had endured these insane weeks
training without giving up.
- Hello, Gerhard.
- Alex.
Everyone was against the idea.
Including Sandro and Gerhard.
Not Kathy, because Kathy
has always supported me.
[woman speaking indistinctly over PA]
He asked me
whether he should go to Rio or not.
And I said, "Go. You must try."
Alex, from his point of view,
thought, "I can't give up."
"If there's one in a thousand chance,
I'll take it."
We went to Rio as if
we were about to face a guillotine.
If there's even a slight chance,
I want to try.
Because I'm innocent.
[tense theme music playing]