{{Short description|American judoka (born 1989)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox judoka | name = Nicholas Delpopolo | image = <!-- name.jpg --> | image_size = <!-- only when absolutely necessary --> | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Petar Perović | full_name = | nickname = Nick | birth_date = {{birth-date and age|February 8, 1989}} | birth_place = Nikšić, SR Montenegro, SFR Yugoslavia | hometown = Scotia, New York, U.S. | height = 5 ft 8 in <!-- Sport --> | country = United States | weight_class = {{nbnd}}73 kg | rank = Black | rank_ref = <ref name="eju">{{cite web|access-date=2023-06-28|author=Markus Knaup|date=2021-02-21|language=en-US|title=Nicholas DELPOPOLO|url=https://www.eju.net/eju/judoka/?judokaId=2085|website=European Judo Union}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> | dan = 2 | club = USA Judo National Training Site at OTC<ref name="teamusa">{{Cite web |title=Nick Delpopolo |url=https://www.teamusa.org/athletes/DE/Nick-Delpopolo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053820/http://www.teamusa.org/Athletes/DE/Nick-Delpopolo |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=TEAM USA}}</ref> | coach = Carrie Chandler<br/>Ed Liddie<ref name="teamusa" /> <!-- Achievements and titles --> | worlds_rank = R16 | worlds_year = 2010 | worlds_weight = Men's 73 kg | regionals_type = AM | regionals_rank = 1 | regionals_year = 2013 | regionals_weight = <!-- Optional – To link to specific weightclass competition article (when one exists) --> | nationals = | olympics_rank = 7 | olympics_year = 2016 | olympics_weight = Men's 73 kg <!-- Medal record --> | show-medals = | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport| Men's judo }} {{Medal|Country| {{USA}} }} {{Medal|Competition| Pan American Games }} {{Medal|B| 2019 Lima | {{nbnd}}73 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| Pan American Championships }} {{Medal|G| 2013 San José | {{nbnd}}73 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2011 Guadalajara | {{nbnd}}73 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2012 Montreal | {{nbnd}}73 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2014 Guayaquil | {{nbnd}}73 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2015 Edmonton | {{nbnd}}73 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2018 San José | {{nbnd}}73 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| IJF Grand Prix }} {{Medal|S| 2016 Qingdao | {{nbnd}}81 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2010 Abu Dhabi | {{nbnd}}73 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2015 Budapest | {{nbnd}}73 kg }} | updated = 8 December 2022 }}
'''Nicholas Delpopolo''' (born February 8, 1989<ref>{{Cite web |title=JudoInside - Nick Delpopolo Judoka |url=https://www.judoinside.com/judoka/41597/Nick_Delpopolo/judo-career |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=www.judoinside.com}}</ref>) is an American judoka.<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference}}</ref> He competed in the men's 73 kg event at the 2012 Summer Olympics; after defeating Cheung Chi Yip in the second round and Dirk Van Tichelt in the third, he lost to Wang Ki-Chun in the fourth round and was eliminated by Nyam-Ochir Sainjargal in the repechages.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nicholas Delpopolo|url=http://www.london2012.com/athlete/delpopolo-nicholas-1132696/|publisher=London 2012|accessdate=August 4, 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120731070300/http://www.london2012.com/athlete/delpopolo-nicholas-1132696/|archivedate=July 31, 2012}}</ref>
On August 6, 2012, Delpopolo was expelled from the Olympics by the IOC after he tested positive for cannabis.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/19152611|title=Judoka Nicholas Delpopolo tests positive for cannabis|access-date=August 8, 2012|date=August 6, 2012|work=BBC Sport|publisher=BBC}}</ref> Upon exiting the games, Delpopolo stated the positive test result was caused by "inadvertent consumption of food that I did not realize had been baked with marijuana, before I left for the Olympic Games."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/14/sports/olympics/nadzeya-ostapchuk-of-belarus-stripped-of-gold-medal-for-doping.html|newspaper=The New York Times|title=Positive Test Costs Shot-Putter Gold Medal| first=Jason | last=Stallman|date=August 14, 2012|accessdate=August 13, 2012|page=B11}} (login required)</ref>
On August 9, 2016, Delpopolo competed again at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the men's 73 kg event, defeating Ahmed Goumar (Niger) in the first round, Odbayar Ganbaatar (Mongolia) in the second round, and ultimately losing to Miklós Ungvári (Hungary) in the Quarter-finals by penalty points. Delpopolo ultimately finished 7th in his division.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/rio-2016/results/sports/judo/men-73kg|title=Results - Men 73kg - Judo - Rio 2016 - Olympics - BBC Sport|work=BBC Sport |access-date=August 15, 2016}}</ref>
==Personal life==
Delpopolo was born as '''Petar Perović''' (Montenegrin/Serbian Cyrillic: '''Петар Перовић''') in Nikšić, SR Montenegro, SFR Yugoslavia. Of Montenegrin heritage,<ref name=timesunion>Zaccardi, Nick. [http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Delpopolo-finishes-7th-3746285.php "Delpopolo finishes 7th"], ''Times Union'', July 30, 2012.</ref> his biological parents left him as a toddler. After being orphaned for 21 months he was adopted as a 2-year-old by a New Jersey family.<ref name=timesunion/> As his adoptive father Dominic's family was from Serbia, they started adoption process there until eventually they were taken to an orphanage near Nikšić, Montenegro.<ref name=bio>[http://www.nickdelpopolo.com/aboutnick/index.php "About Nick Delpopolo"], ''nickdelpopolo.com''</ref> Several years later they adopted another child there, a daughter named Helen.<ref name=bio/>
Nick was raised by his adoptive parents in Westfield, New Jersey and attended Bergen Catholic High School.<ref>D'Allesandro, Dave. [http://www.nj.com/olympics/index.ssf/2012/07/olympics_2012_nick_delpopolo_o.html "Olympics 2012: Nick Delpopolo, of Westfield, attempting to win gold in judo and make most of special opportunity"], ''The Star-Ledger'', July 28, 2012. Accessed August 8, 2016.</ref><ref>Metcalfe, Jeff. [http://www.northjersey.com/sports/former-bergen-catholic-wrestler-nick-delpopolo-seeks-olympic-redemption-1.1640632 "Former Bergen Catholic wrestler Nick Delpopolo seeks Olympic redemption"], ''The Record (Bergen County)'', August 5, 2016. Accessed August 9, 2016. "Instead, if his draw in the 73-kilogram division pans out as well as he imagines, the former Bergen Catholic wrestler would leave Rio with an Olympic medal and lifetime redemption. 'I'm telling you, that's literally the biggest skeleton in my closet,' said the 27-year-old native of Montenegro, who grew up living with adopted parents in Westfield then attended State University of New York."</ref>
In 2009, he went to Montenegro to see his biological father, but chose not to reveal himself because the man looked hostile.<ref name=timesunion/> Nick also plans to find his biological mother who is in Serbia.<ref>Snyder, Audrey. [https://sites.comm.psu.edu/olympics/2012/07/31/judoka-delpopolo-faces-biggest-fight-of-his-career/ "Judoka Delpopolo faces biggest fight of his career"], ''psu.edu'', July 31, 2012.</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website}} * {{Sports links|properties=-P4063,-P13540}} * {{Team USA|new_id=nick-delpopolo|old_id=DE/Nick-Delpopolo|archive=20220711224848}} * {{The-Sports}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Delpopolo, Nicholas}} Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:American male judoka Category:Olympic judoka for the United States Category:Judoka at the 2012 Summer Olympics Category:Judoka at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in judo Category:Judoka at the 2019 Pan American Games Category:Medalists at the 2019 Pan American Games Category:Doping cases in judo Category:Bergen Catholic High School alumni Category:American people of Montenegrin descent Category:American people of Serbian descent Category:Sportspeople from Westfield, New Jersey Category:21st-century American sportsmen