The International Testing Agency (ITA) has announced that Filipino weightlifting star Vanessa Sarno has accepted a two-year suspension for committing three whereabouts failures under the International Weightlifting Federation’s (IWF) anti-doping rules.
According to the ITA, which oversees the independent anti-doping program for the IWF, Sarno violated Article 2.4 of the IWF Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) after failing to provide accurate whereabouts information on three occasions within a 12-month period.
Athletes included in the IWF’s Registered Testing Pool are required to submit daily whereabouts details and designate a 60-minute time slot for potential out-of-competition testing.
Sarno did not contest the Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) and accepted the sanctions proposed by the ITA. The case was resolved through the “Acceptance of Consequences” process, as outlined in the World Anti-Doping Code and IWF rules.
The suspension will keep the 21-year-old lifter out of competition from August 4, 2025, to August 3, 2027. In addition, all of Sarno’s results, if there are any, from January 1, 2025, up to the start of her ineligibility period, will be annulled, including forfeiture of medals, points, and prizes.
Parties with a right to appeal may challenge the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in accordance with IWF ADR Article 13.2.3. The ITA confirmed it will not issue further comments on the case.
Sarno, considered one of the Philippines’ brightest weightlifting prospects, was widely expected to contend for major international titles in the years to come.
