The Italian Olympic Committee has requested a four-year doping ban for former Olympic race walk champion Alex Schwazer.

Schwazer was excluded from the London Olympics after testing positive for EPO before the games.

On Thursday, CONI's prosecutor asked the anti-doping court to inflict the maximum four-year ban.

The 27-year-old Schwazer won the 50-kilometer event at the 2008 Beijing Games.

He failed an out-of-competition test before arriving in London and was removed from Italy's team before competing. He then admitted using the blood-boosting hormone EPO and said he was quitting the sport.

Schwazer has also admitted to consulting with Lance Armstrong's banned sport doctor Michele Ferrari.

Schwazer maintains he was clean at the time of the Beijing Olympics.