Roberto Barbi (born 25 March 1965), born in Switzerland but Tuscan of Bagni di Lucca,[2] is a former Italian long-distance runner who specialized in the marathon.
He is currently serving a 38 year competition ban for repeated violations of anti-doping regulations. The ban will expire in 2047 when Barbi will be 82 years old.[3]
He finished twentieth in the marathon event at the 1999 World Championships, and 37th at the 1999 World Half Marathon Championships.[4] He also competed at the 2001 World Championships, but was disqualified.
His personal best marathon time was 2:10:12 hours, achieved in October 2000 in Venice. He had 1:02:09 hours in the half marathon, achieved in April 1999 in Milan.[4]
In 1996 Barbi tested positive for Ephedrine and was subsequently handed a three-month ban from sports.[5][6]
In 2001 he tested positive for EPO in a sample collected 30 July, the day he'd arrived in Edmonton for the 2001 World Athletics Championships.[3] His result from the marathon was disqualified, and he received a four-year ban from sports. The ban was later reduced to 25 months, after he cooperated with the Italian anti-doping authorities and police, giving detailed information about his doping. He admitted to have used EPO since 1998.[3]
In 2008 he tested positive for both EPO and Ephedrine. The sample was delivered on 20 July 2008 in an in-competition test in Mende, Lozère. This time he received a suspension for life.[7]
Barbi, despite having been repeatedly disqualified, has repeatedly violated the terms of his disqualification by participating in running competitions.[8]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Italy
| ||||
| 1999 | World Championships | Seville, Spain | 20th | 2:18:13 |
| 2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | DSQ (60th) | DSQ |
Nuovo capitolo alla vicenda sportiva di Roberto Barbi, il podista di Bagni di Lucca...
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