DelPopolo Expelled from Olympics After Positive Drug Test
The Westfield judo athlete tested positive for marijuana.
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Nicholas Delpopolo, U.S. Judoka and Westfield native, who placed seventh in his division at the London Olympics, has been expelled from the Olympic games after testing positive for marijuana.
As a result, the International Olympic Committee has disqualifed Delpopolo's result from the men's 73 kg Judo event (see the full statement attached).
According to information on the official International Olympics website, Delpopolo's diploma in the event has been withdrawn and his Olympic identity and accreditation card has been cancelled and withdrawn.
Delpopolo, 23, is ranked number one in the U.S. and 12th in the world in the sport. He secured his spot on the U.S. Olympic Judo team Saturday, May 12 after a dramatic fight to the finish against long-time rival Mike Eldred at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami. He was among six Americans competing on the U.S. Judo team and was the only one in his 73 kg weight class.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Delpopolo has issued an apology: "My positive test was caused by my inadvertent consumption of food that I did not realize had been baked with marijuana, before I left for the Olympic Games. I apologize to the U.S. Olympic Committee, to my teammates, and to my fans, and I am embarrassed by this mistake."
Delpopolo continued, "I look forward to representing my country in the future and will re-dedicate myself to being the best judo athlete that I can be."
Patch will continue to update this story.
Huey
10:51 am on Monday, August 6, 2012
This is unfortunate. If only he had a turf field to practice on maybe this could have been avoided.
Devil2012
11:03 am on Monday, August 6, 2012
as a graduate of our high school not surprised at all.. our town has a huge drug problem which people for some reason dont care about ... and his excuse on why he tested positive is suspect at best
Kris Bondi
11:23 am on Monday, August 6, 2012
The Kenyan that ran in the 1500 yesterday really needs that Brownie- or maybe an entire Cake or a few milkshakes.....Feed the Kenyans...jeez
Cheech
11:25 am on Monday, August 6, 2012
Oh Yeah, My dog ate my stash, Man......
Man this stuff is so bad it will put a hump in a camel's back
Michael
12:22 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
Damn, now he's just as much of a loser as Michael Phelps...
Westfield123
1:08 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
I'm waiting for all the pot smokers in Westfield to try and rationalize his pot smoking like they did when the Westfield Teacher and Lax coach got caught.
Tom
10:56 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
How long ago was that and you are still bringing this up? Did you ever make a mistake in your life?
Richard
6:00 pm on Thursday, August 9, 2012
You're absolutely right. It was NOT that long ago, and Westfield's standards were irreversibly tarnished and harmed by the Board's slap on the wrist and placing that teacher right back in the classroom. Kids don't listen to what we SAY....but sure as heck watch what we DO...and if we DO it....guess what? It's OK! In my time this would be considered a disgrace, if not at the least incredible stupidity. Now, all we get are asinine excuses and professions of how wonderful this kid is.
Mary Mann
1:28 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
Folks,
Let's keep the comments clean and thoughtful (I had to delete one comment with a foul reference). I'm getting emails from townspeople who feel badly for Delpopolo and his family — seeing this as a youthful indiscretion. But I'm not seeing those thoughts pop up here in the comments.
Wally Westfield
3:16 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
yet you feel the need to title this breaking news!
give me a break
Mary Mann
4:07 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
Wally,
It is breaking news. We reported just the facts and made no judgments.
Olga Y.
10:30 am on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
I think Nick can learn from this and use this experience to become much stronger and a better person. I will surely be rooting for him in the next Olympics!
Wally Westfield
10:46 am on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Mary,
How is this breaking news?
How is it affecting anyone or anything?
It is a slight tick above gossip
Mom
1:40 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
So sad.
E Liz
1:50 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
This is sad and disappointing - I don't know the kid, but I am from Westfield so I was rooting for him when he was still in contention. What I will never understand, whether it's the Olympics, a drug test for work, or whatever. IF YOU KNOW for a fact that you are going to be tested, and I think if you get to the Olympics, it's a fact, why would you smoke weed? Unless someone is a hardcore addict and can't stop yourself (which I doubt this kid is if he's a world-class athlete) you have to know that this is what is going to happen!
Westfield Parent
2:09 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
Humans. Human nature never changes. We could ask a similar question to Mitt Romney: If you knew you were going to run for the highest office of the land, shouldn't you have gotten your tax return situation in order? He had to know that's going to be an issue, right? And the millions and millions of dollars betting on him?
Bruce Murrie
1:59 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
Is THC a possibly a performance-enhancing drug for judo? I should think not--that using it would degrade alertness--and that Mr. DelPopolo's expulsion is a typical knee-jerk reaction of the athletic-industrial complex, always demanding that its athletes to be clean-cut "role models." which is really not an appropriate criterion for an Olympic athlete, anyway. Am I wrong about this--is there any hard medical evidence that pot improves judo performance?
E Liz
2:20 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
It's a rule of the Olympics ... no illegal drugs. No mention of performance-enhancing (I would think quite the opposite actually) or needing to be a role-model. Just a rule. The same way having a joint in your car doesn't make you a bad guy, but the cops have to bust you for it.
Another mother
2:21 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
This young man is a dedicated athlete who spent countless hours training in order to compete at this level. I can't imagine this was anything other than an unfortunate accident. I wish him all the best!
Brandon williams
2:41 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
The Brownie was given to him by someone unknowingly which consiquently had marijuana. He is a phenominal athlete.
E Liz
3:14 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
It was unknowingly given to him, I suppose that's possible. But once he ate it, he must have known *something* was up. Fess up instead of going all the way to the Olympics, having your family and friends rooting for you, supporting you and then embarrassing them like this. And who gave him the laced brownie ... someone who didn't know he was on his way to the Olympics soon? Somehow it doesn't add up. Sounds to me like a spoiled little entitled kid who always gets away with it and thought this would be the same, until it wasn't.
Denis
4:06 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
Wasting all of that talent for weed of all things. Too bad.
sally cohen-alameno
8:45 am on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
I agree that this is news, but a "breaking news alert" was a bit much. I enjoy reading Patch but am so tired of all the vitriol and obnoxious comments. "E Liz", that's for you....Nick Delpopolo is most definitely NOT a spolied little entitled kid - why on earth would you say that? I doubt that you can begin to imagine the sacrifice this family has made on so many levels for Nick AND his sister Helen to pursue this dream. Not all families in Westfield are priviliged, that's a cheap throwaway snarky remark intended to get a reaction and you know it.
E Liz
3:41 pm on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Not intended to be snarky or get a "reaction" - I know all types of kids from Westfield from the more privileged/wealthy families to the ones who ared just scraping by to keep their house in Westifeld for the school system - all types of different people. What I am referring to is the type of kid whose parent is always quick to make an excuse for him/her for everything, therfore the kid gets away with a lot. Spoiled here was meant nothing to do with money - and everything to do with sense of entitlement (that happens in all income brackets). How else can you explain someone using pot and thinking he'll get away with it when being drug tested for the OLYMPICS for goodness sakes. This is not some hokey test for school or a job -- his family flew to London for the chance of a lifetime to see him compete in the Olympics - wow, what an accomplishment. I tear up watching the parents of the athletes when they show them in the stands. I cannot imagine the Delpopolos' embarrasment that they have to fly home and face their friends and families with their son expelled from the Olympics for drugs. A shame. And he should fess up and tell the truth because I haven't spoken to anyone who believes the brownie story.
ANS
11:05 am on Thursday, August 9, 2012
You go Sally!
darby
9:10 am on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
A supposedly family member gave him a brownie laced with pot? What kind of family do you have that cooks with pot than gives it to people without telling them what’s in it. I hope there weren’t little kids at that family’s home that also decided to grab a brownie. And if this excuse is true, which I find very hard to believe, what low life person would knowingly give ‘laced brownies’ to anyone that could be driving home, little kids, elders or someone that was competing in the Olympics. I was following his Olympic path and rooting him on like so many, but when I heard this story I got disgusted. He deserves to get kicked out, when kids, and adults are looking up to you and cheering you on, you’ve not only let down your home town, but I’m sure many others like myself that was cheering him on. His whole story doesn’t make sense and I would almost have more respect for him if he just said he messed up and smoked pot. Not only have I lost respect for him, but his whole family that thinks this is acceptable ‘family behavior’.
1aokmom
10:17 am on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
I would have a little more sympathy if he was a teenaged athlete (teens make these mistakes), but at age 23 he should have known better.
Westfield Resident
10:37 am on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
No reason to drag him through the mud because of this. He is still a phenomenal athlete and accomplished things that most of us could never. If we're going to get on the subject of marijuana, a huge number of Westfield parents smoke weed, so let's not be so quick to judge DelPopolo.
Another Mother
2:19 pm on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
I don't think his parents condone giving out drug-laced brownies! Nick worked hard for years to make it to the Olympics + his parents' pride in their son is apparent in his mother's online updates from London. I hope Nick will be able to put this chapter behind him + continue the sport he loves.
Keith M. Gallagher
4:17 pm on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Olympic Dreams..up in smoke !
JERSEY GIRL
12:32 pm on Friday, August 10, 2012
What if that laced brownie was given to someone who had a random drug test at work? The entire story appears very suspicious.