Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal (TNA) has cleared five athletes accused of evading doping tests as part of the ‘Olympia’ investigation by the Bolzano prosecutor’s office. The absolved athletes are former pole vault world champion Giuseppe Gibilisco; sprinter Jacques Riparelli; javelin thrower Roberto Bertolini; 400m runner Marco Francesco Vistalli and triple jumper Fabrizio Schembri.

In March, the TNA acquitted Simone Collio, Matteo Galvan, Claudio Licciardello, Giovanni Faloci and Daniele Secci, which followed the acquittal of Daniele Meucci, Fabrizio Donato, Daniele Greco, Ruggero Pertile, Andrew C. Howe, Silvia Salis, Anna Incerti and Andrea Lalli. In total, 18 of the 26 athletes that the Bolzano prosecutor’s office recommended for sanctioning in December last year have since been acquitted.

Amateur cyclist banned

However the TNA issued amateur cyclist Antonio Lionetti with a two-year ban, plus has banned two other non-affiliated individuals for 18 and 20 years, respectively. In its decision, published on 22 April, the TNA sanctioned Adriano Borca with an 18-year ban, expiring 21 April 2034. Dario Filippi was sanctioned with a 20-year ban, expiring 21 April 2036.

Cyclists provisionally suspended

The TNA also announced that it has provisionally suspended cyclists Concetto Intagliata and Enrico Di Martino as a precautionary measure. Intagliata returned a positive test for betamethasone and Di Martino for recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) on 6 March, after the Gran Fondo Città Di Scicli. In a separate release, the TNA announced that it had provisionally suspended Michele Genovese after he tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.