Südtirol is on the rise, with Schwazer appointed as the club's new consultant.

Südtirol is on the rise. A curious collaboration has begun between the club and former Beijing 2008 Olympic 50km walk champion Alex Schwazer. Sporting director Paolo Bravo explains the reasons behind this move: "For years, we've been coming to training camp near Vipiteno, where Alex was born and lives. We met him and started talking seriously about a collaboration last winter. Eventually, we started to get serious."

From his athletic talent to his successes in race walking—two world bronzes before Beijing—to his love affair with skater Carolina Kostner from Val Gardena, and finally the never-ending doping scandal, Schwazer has been in the headlines for years. The first blow to his popularity came with his 2012 disqualification, on the eve of his Olympic title defense. He admitted guilty to doping and received a four-year ban. Afterward, Alex attempted to resume his athletic career, but was stopped by another positive test, which was later determined to be the result of a conspiracy, as firmly established by the Bolzano Court. Having retired due to reaching the age limit, Schwazer is now 41, and his physical training consultation was a consequence. "What amazed us," Bravo continues, "was his humility and passion, but above all his expertise in analyzing data and making decisions based on the numbers. He's clearly an expert in the field and immediately engaged us in his discussions."

The collaboration could evolve into something more: "We're confident in our choice, and Alex was a hero to this region. Therefore, based on our evaluation over time, we'd say we could consider a permanent addition to the team. But that also depends on him, as he has no shortage of professional activities related to his expertise," Bravo concludes. This means an increasingly structured Südtirol, with a highly motivated Castori at the helm for what could be one of the surprises in Serie B.