Bitter farewell to racing for Alex Schwazer

Alex Schwazer’s bitter farewell to racing

Bitter farewell for Alex Schwazer, after his long and contested disqualification, this evening in Arco, Trentino è returned to marching, but had to stop after two-thirds of the race, at the 14° kilometer mark, due to sciatica that has been chasing him for several weeks. "I wanted to race today no matter what, to show my children what their daddy did.  In fact, they never saw me in the race", says Alex with a face marked by pain.

The event, called the QAlex20k, also represents the 39-year-old’s probable farewell to racing. Starting with him under threatening rain skies at 7:30 p.m. was a single competitor, Damiano Barberi, a master from Veneto, still without Fidal results on the 20-kilometer course. In the stands, numerous fans and onlookers cheered the South Tyrolean with each passage under the stands. At first the only opponent on the race as long as 50 laps è was the wind. "It disturbs so much, it makes him lose two minutes&#quot;, explains Sandro Donati. A coach, but also a bit of a father, he tells the marcher the passing times.

“È left with so much anger and momentum, I urged him to spare himself", says the 77-year-old, unable to hide a certain agitation and concern. He sensed, in fact, reading the face of his student, that something was wrong.  By a precise choice, the result was not è valid for international ranking, but è was regularly certified for Fidal rankings. The event was organized by Queen Atletica and ASD Atletica Alto Garda e Ledro in cooperation with Mancini Group. Alex continued to grind out miles, passing with impressive regularity under the finish banner. The 1.87-meter-tall South Tyrolean's body doesn&#39t seem to have changed since the days of his great successes. But by now they are just memories another life.

The doping disqualification è ended at midnight on Sunday, July 7. "Today when I showed up at the start I had to ask the organizers for pins to fix the number on my chest, just to figure out how long è it has been since my last race", he recounts.  Lap after lap the pains became more severe and Alex could no longer put his foot down as the rules of the march dictate. At this point he withdraws, the fans greeting him with a long and affectionate applause. The now former marcher can hardly walk. "This è was my last race as an athlete.  I was born an athlete and will remain an athlete forever. If he wants to; when he is 50, he will participate in village competitions" he says with a smile halfway between bitterness and relief. The Paris Olympics competitions he will watch from home: "è an important and beautiful thing". And Alex knows it.