VANESSA SARNO, the 21-year-old Filipina weightlifter who proudly represented the Philippines at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is facing a two-year suspension, as announced by the International Testing Agency (ITA).

With three years to go before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the ITA revealed that the Olympic athlete accepted the suspension due to a violation of anti-doping rules under Article 2.4 of the International Weightlifting Federation’s Anti-Doping Rules.

Ruling Explained

According to the ITA, the suspension wasn’t a result of direct doping. Instead, Sarno “committed three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period’ and ‘did not challenge the ADRV and agreed with the consequences proposed.” 

“Athletes included in a Registered Testing Pool (RTP), such as Vanessa Sarno, have the obligation to provide daily whereabouts as well as a specific daily 60-minute time slot where they will be available for testing,” ITA said.

“The purpose is to allow anti-doping organisations to locate athletes for unannounced out-of-competition testing,” it went on to explain.

The ITA also confirmed that Vanessa Sarno’s suspension will last from August 4, 2025, to August 3, 2027. In addition, all her individual competition results—including medals, points, and prizes—from January 1, 2025, onward will be forfeited.

No Drug Violation

Meanwhile, Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas President Monico Puentevella told ABS-CBN News that Sarno’s suspension was not the result of a failed drug test, clarifying the misinformation spreading online.

“This is not a drugs case. No tests. No doping. Just failure to report her whereabouts,” Puentevella clarified, based on the report made by the media.

“Every national team lifter must report quarterly on where she is. In her case, she got pregnant so she didn’t bother to report anymore. She’s resting in Bohol now. No drugs issue,” he added.  

A two-year suspension is a significant setback for Sarno, as it will cause her to miss major events such as the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, the 2026 Asian Games, and the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships. 

Despite this, Puentevella said they have no intention of appealing the decision.

Sarno is a two-time SEA Games gold medalist and has also earned both gold and silver at the Asian Championships. She secured her spot in the Paris Olympics by placing fifth at the IWF World Cup in April 2024.