Yesterday afternoon a bombshell bounced by Italian news agencies.

The facts are connected to the investigation "Olympia" carried out by the Prosecutor's Office of Bolzano following the positivity of Alex Schwazer in 2012.

The Office of the Prosecutor of the Anti-Doping NADO Italy announced that - on the basis of the investigation and the outcome of the investigations carried out with the opening of disciplinary proceedings against 65 athletes for violation of art. 2.3 (evading control) and art. 2.4 (failure whereabouts), as well as audits and supporting the statements made by them in the hearings and the documentation produced by those athletes - issued 26 charges against athletes who will be examined by the relevant Sections of the National Anti-Doping Tribunal.

They were also issued 39 requests for filing the complaints which had been disputed for many athletes, including the walkers: Marco De Luca, Giorgio Rubino and Alex Schwazer.

The news immediately did the rounds of television news and is today on all Italian newspapers.

In one of the saddest days of Italian athletics, the only glimmer of light is given by the fact that there are no proceedings against Italian walkers.

If the prosecution is confirmed by the first two sections of the National Anti-Doping Tribunal all 26 athletes risk a two-year ban.