Olympic walk champion Schwazer fails another doping test

Alex Schwazer of Italy walks on his way to win the 50 kilometres race walk at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Rome, Italy, May 8, 2016. REUTERS/Max Rossi

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's 2008 Olympic 50km race walk champion Alex Schwazer, who returned from a doping ban to win the world championship title last month, has again tested positive for a banned substance, Italy's athletics federation said on Wednesday.

"There has been a notice of a violation," a spokesman said but could not confirm newspaper reports that the positive was the result of a re-test of a January sample, taken after Schwazer had qualified for the Rio De Janeiro Olympics.