U.S. Olympian expelled after testing positive for marijuana he said he ate accidentally

Nicholas Delpopolo visits the USA House at the Royal College of Art on August 2, 2012 in London, England. / Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for USOC

(AP) LONDON - American judo fighter Nick Delpopolo was expelled from the Olympic Games on Monday after testing positive for marijuana he said he ate accidentally before arriving in London.

Delpopolo is the first of the 10,500 games athletes to fail an in-competition doping test.

His case is the fifth positive test for a banned substance reported by the IOC since its official London Games testing period began in mid-July. The other four athletes were caught before competing.

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London Olympics: Aug. 6, 2012

The International Olympic Committee said it disqualified Delpopolo from the men's 73-kilogram class, where he placed seventh.

Delpopolo tested positive for metabolites of cannabis after competing on July 30.

He apologized to the United States team in a statement acknowledging he was "embarrassed by this mistake."

"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," Delpopolo said in a statement released by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

"I look forward to representing my country in the future, and will rededicate myself to being the best judo athlete that I can be," he said.

Delpopolo "shall have his Olympic identity and accreditation card canceled and withdrawn immediately," the IOC said.

USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said the team was "absolutely committed to clean competition" and supported Delpopolo's disqualification.

"Any positive test, for any banned substance, comes with the appropriate consequences," Sandusky said.

The IOC said it would ask the International Judo Federation to alter the standings in Delpopolo's event. He beat opponents from Hong Kong and Belgium, then lost to fighters from South Korea and Mongolia.

Delpopolo faces further sanctions as the IOC requested that judo's governing body "consider any further action within its own competence."

The 23-year-old Delpopolo commented on his official games biography that he found training for London to be intense and he would like to return to study.

"I would also like to try and get a job wherever; it wouldn't matter to me," he is quoted as saying on the official website. "These two things would be a good change of pace from the 'always train' life I live now.

"Don't get me wrong, I would still practice, train and compete judo but not as intense or as much as I am now. But in 2014 I would start preparing for the 2016 Games again."

Delpopolo was born Petra Perovic in the former Yugoslavia in what is now the independent republic of Montenegro, the biography said.

He was adopted by an American family, who named him Nick, and he grew up in New Jersey.

[Bush-cheney-R-Terrorists]

That's nothing! I accidentally main-lined some heroin. I know, it was ridiculous. I thought I was doing Judoka or whatevka.

[guest173]

such a cop out, I don't believe the brownie story at all. name names and sue for assault if it's true, just to clear his reputation, otherwise, I believe he is covering for himself and his friends for really smoking it while partying.

[Paulpots12]

But marijuana is not performance enhancing.
Ross Rebagliati tested positive for THC in 98 but was given his gold medal back.
Are athlete's also tested for alcohol and tobacco.
Legalize cannabis.

[Resin-Smoker]

Well thank God he didn't inhale...

Seriously... what a dumb arse and then he's not even man enough to own up to his mistake.

[micmac666]

Aren't "accident" and "mistake" synonymous? You're welcome.

[doubleecho-2009]

HOW LAME of an excuse can you provide? C'MON, be a MAN & just own up to it! At least you will be known as "honest", not just another weasel!

[micmac666]

Chill, dudes. He just forgot.

[AOCGUY]

That can happen after eating a plate of Alice B. Toklas brownies. Just ask Arlo.

[AOCGUY]

I'm not a stoner but I do like my beer, wine, and whiskey. Of course I'm not stupid enough to consume those products before going to work. I just imagine explaining to my boss, "... but Boss, I drank that whiskey (hic) by accident (hic) I thought it was OJ (hic) ..."

[EssexL]

@AOCGUY -- Your ignorance is stunning. Could you honestly say that you enjoy that beer, wine or whiskey, but cut yourself off 6 weeks before heading into the office, or getting behind the wheel? That's part of the absurdity of marijuana testing. The THC remains in your urine for weeks, long after any buzz you might have had wears off.

Another ridiculous point they try to make is how evil is MJ. It's poison for our kids. This stuff shouldn't be within 25, 50, 100, 1000 feet of a school yard. My wife works with pre-school aged children. There is a "candy" store directly across the street that sells cigarettes. The Liquor store is in the next block. Even some of my wife's colleagues step outside the school door to light-up a cigarette, every hour. Where is the outrage over this?

It's the "gateway drug". A charge that is so lame, even Mitt Romney says it. All you need to know.

It leads to Heroin. We have to prevent our kids from getting hooked on Heroin. Just like saying we need to prevent motorcycle accidents, so lets prevent our kids from learning to ride a bike.

This kid won an Olympics medal with MJ in his urine so now is it a performance enhancing substance? I always heard (the lie) that it makes you lazy, shiftless and stupid. I guess people like Steve Jobs, Rick Steves and Bill Maher, to name just a few, would fall into that category.

When will this "marijuana, the boogey-man" nonsense cease to exist?

[nohater]

yeah right, ate it by accident. what an idiot, brainless as blazes.

[EmtFF10]

What a idiot!!!!

[Maxx__Velocity]

Shame on the international community for bowing so submissively to the U.S.A.'s absurd, illogical, failed war on drugs. Grow some balls will ya?

I'll be boycotting any recognition of the Olympic Games until they learn how to say "No" to American hubris.

[AOCGUY]

I'm sure the IOCC will miss you