Filipino Olympian and Asian champion Vanessa Sarno has been handed a two-year ban from competition after the International Testing Agency (ITA) found her in violation of anti-doping rules. The sanction, which took effect on August 4, 2025, will sideline her until August 3, 2027.
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Violation and Ruling Details
Sarno, who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics and previously won gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games and Asian Championships, was sanctioned after committing three “whereabouts failures” within a 12-month period.
The ruling disqualifies her from upcoming international events, including the 2025 Thailand Southeast Asian Games scheduled this December. The ITA confirmed in a statement that Sarno did not contest the charges and accepted the sanctions.
“The athlete did not challenge the anti-doping rules violation [ADRV] and agreed with the consequences proposed by the ITA. Accordingly, the case was resolved via an acceptance of consequences,” the ITA said.
Her period of ineligibility also comes with the forfeiture of results, medals, and points earned between January 1, 2025, and the start of the suspension in August.
“Additionally, all the athlete’s individual competitive results from the date of commission of the ADRV (Jan. 1, 2025) until the start of the period of ineligibility are disqualified, including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes,” the ITA added.
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Background and Athlete Obligations
According to the ITA, athletes listed in the registered testing pool must declare their whereabouts daily, including a one-hour time slot for unannounced testing. Missing three tests or failing to update information within 12 months automatically qualifies as an anti-doping rules violation.
“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 agency explained.
Sarno, who is just 21 years old, had been regarded as one of the Philippines’ most promising weightlifters. She won gold in the 2020 Asian Championships in Uzbekistan and repeated the feat in the 2021 and 2023 SEA Games.
However, her recent struggles included a disappointing Olympic campaign in Paris, where she failed to register a successful lift. The Philippine weightlifting federation also confirmed that she has been absent from the national team in recent months.
With the suspension in place, Sarno’s road back to international competition will be put on hold until mid-2027, marking a major setback in her athletic career.
