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Filipina weightlifter Vanessa Sarno. PSC/POC pool photo.

Article (news)

Paige Javier

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756264119688050323_vanessa-sarno.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Filipina weightlifter Vanessa Sarno. PSC/POC pool photo"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Filipina weightlifter Vanessa Sarno. <em>PSC/POC pool photo</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (UPDATED) – Three years before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Filipina weightlifter Vanessa Sarno has accepted a two-year ban from the International Testing Agency (ITA). </p><p>The ITA reported the Filipina Olympic weightlifter agreed to the suspension for her anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) under Article 2.4 of the International Weightlifting Federation Anti-Doping Rules.  </p><p>&quot;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. The purpose is to allow anti-doping organisations to locate athletes for unannounced out-of-competition testing,&quot; the ITA wrote. </p><p>According to the ITA, Sarno &quot;committed three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period&#x27; and &#x27;did not challenge the ADRV and agreed with the consequences proposed.&quot; </p><p>Because of Sarno&#x27;s acceptance of the suspension, the case has been resolved.  </p><p>&quot;The athlete&#x27;s period of ineligibility is from 4 August 2025 until 3 August 2027. Additionally, all the athlete&#x27;s individual competitive results from the date of commission of the ADRV (1 January 2025) until the start of the period of ineligibility are disqualified including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes,&quot; the ITA said. </p><p>&quot;The decision may be challenged before the appeal division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport by the parties with a right of appeal in accordance with Article 13.2.3 of the IWF ADR,&quot; it added. </p><p>The ITA said it will no longer comment further on the case of Sarno. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>PH WEIGHTLIFTING BODY RESPONDS </strong></div><p>Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas President Monico Puentevella clarified the suspension of the 21-year-old weightlifter was not due to a failed drug test. </p><p>&quot;This is not a drugs case. No tests. No doping. Just failure to report her whereabouts,&quot; Puentevella said in a message to ABS-CBN News. </p><p>&quot;Every natl [national] team lifter must report quarterly on where she is. In her case, she got pregnant so she didn&#x27;t bother to report anymore. She&#x27;s resting in Bohol now. No drugs issue,&quot; he added.  </p><p>Puentevella said the SWP will no longer appeal Sarno&#x27;s case. </p><p>&quot;No more, (because) she already accepted the decision. There&#x27;s no drugs here. No doping,&quot; he said. </p><p>The two-year ban covers the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, the 2026 Asian Games, and the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships. </p><p>Sarno has won gold twice at the SEA Games, as well as gold and silver at the Asian Championships.  </p><p>The 21-year-old represented the country in the women&#x27;s 71kg division at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She exited early after three failed attempts in the snatch. </p><p>She qualified for the Paris Summer Games after finishing fifth place in the IWF World Cup in April 2024.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Related video:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5ocwCecYMf8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Three years before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Filipina weightlifter Vanessa Sarno has accepted a two-year ban from the International Testing Agency (ITA).</p>

Three years before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Filipina weightlifter Vanessa Sarno has accepted a two-year ban from the International Testing Agency (ITA).

PH Olympic weightlifter Vanessa Sarno gets two-year ban for three reporting failures

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PH Olympic weightlifter Vanessa Sarno gets two-year ban for three reporting failures

Paige Javier,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 27, 2025 11:23 AM PHT

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Updated August 27, 2025 02:52 PM PHT

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Weightlifting

Vanessa Sarno

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