Italian shot putter Nick Ponzio agrees to 18-month ban after missing tests
Nick Ponzio, who competes for Italy, will not participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics due to a ban imposed by the Italian Anti-Doping Agency (NADO). According to reports by the Italian media, Ponzio attributed his failure to participate in mandatory random doping tests to a “mistake on his mobile phone.” NADO has imposed an 18-month suspension on Ponzio for missing three random tests, a requirement for all athletes. The agency stated that the ban would commence on February 28, 2023, and conclude on August 27, 2024. The timeline rules out his potential return for the Paris 2024 competition. The anti-doping regulations clearly state that athletes cannot skip three random tests without a valid, officially verified excuse.
Earlier in the year, Ponzio had already faced a 12-month suspension, and on December 20, he consented to the extended 18-month penalty. The rationale behind this decision is based on Article 2.4 of the Anti-Doping Code, which concerns an “athlete’s failure to disclose his whereabouts.” Ponzio has consistently claimed that technical issues with his mobile phone prevented him from being located for testing. As a result of the sanction taking effect on February 28, any of his achievements during the period of the ban will be invalidated and removed from his record.
Nick Ponzio’s earlier accomplishments
Ponzio, originally from San Diego, obtained Italian citizenship and represented Italy in the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 that took place in 2021, where he was eliminated in the initial round after an overall 20th-place finish. He achieved his best result with a fourth-place finish at the European Championships in 2022 in Munich. That same year, he added another significant achievement by recording the second-best Italian indoor shot put distance of 21.61 meters. This performance established him as one of the potential contenders for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. However, this ban will now make sure that the athlete will have to wait to participate in any further international competitions.
The 28-year-old has previously won a silver medal at the European Throwing Cup in 2022, with a personal best throw of 21.83 m. Ponzio becomes the second athlete from Italy to face a suspension within a short span, following the four-year ban imposed on steeplechase athlete Ahmed Abdelwahed by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) just a few days earlier. Italian athletes had a sensational run at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, winning five golds, which also included Marcell Jacobs’ surprising victory in the men’s 100m.
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