Sprinting Champion Sha’Carri Richardson Suspended 1 Month for Positive Marijuana Test

[JamesG]

Sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson Suspended One Month after Marijuana Test, Putting Olympics in Doubt
by Adam Kilgore and Rick Maese
July 2, 2021


American sprinting champion Sha’Carri Richardson apologized for the positive marijuana test that will prevent her from running her signature event at the Tokyo Olympics, saying in a “Today” show interview Friday that she used marijuana at the U.S. Olympic trials to cope with the discovery that her biological mother had died and the pressure to meet expectations.

Richardson remained hopeful she could race in the 4x100 relay but acknowledged she will miss the 100 meters, the race that propelled her to instant stardom at the trials. Richardson emphasized she has never used performance-enhancing drugs and expressed confidence she will rebound for future Olympics and accepted fault.





Shortly after her interview, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced Richardson had accepted a one-month suspension.

“I want to take responsibility for my actions,” Richardson said. “I know what I did. I know what I’m supposed to do. I know what I’m allowed not to do. But I still made that decision. I’m not making an excuse.”





During an interview at the trials in Eugene, Ore., Richardson said, a reporter informed her that her biological mother had died recently. She said the revelation, along with the pressure to make her first Olympic team, led to her decision to ingest marijuana, which is legal in Oregon.

“To hear that information coming from a complete stranger, it was definitely triggering,” Richardson said. “It was definitely nerve-shocking. It was just like, who are you to tell me that? No offense against him at all. He was just doing his job. But definitely that sent me into a state of mind, a state of emotional panic.

I still have to go out and put out a performance for my dream, go out there and still compete. From there, just blinded by emotions, just blinded by hurting, I knew I couldn’t hide myself. In some type of way, I was just trying to hide my pain.”





Richardson's suspension was met with widespread criticism.

Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote a letter to the World Anti-Doping Agency and the USADA expressing their “dismay” over her suspension and urged the agencies to reconsider the policies that led to her ban.

The letter stated the suspension was not supported by science and would punish Richardson “after she inspired the country” at the U.S. trials. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote, "their decision lacks any scientific basis and is rooted solely in the systemic racism that's long driven anti-marijuana laws."





Under track and field’s anti-doping rules, Richardson faces a reduced 30-day suspension for undergoing a treatment program and the disqualification of her results at the trials. USA Track & Field selects its Olympic team for individual events strictly on where athletes finish at the trials, so the vacating of her first-place result would prevent Richardson from running in the 100 meters in Tokyo.

Richardson still could be eligible to be chosen for the 4x100-meter relay if track officials choose. Her suspension is set to expire July 28, two days before the Olympic track and field meet begins. A person familiar with the situation said track officials hadn’t made a decision on Richardson’s eligibility for the Tokyo relay, and neither USATF nor the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee commented on her Tokyo prospects.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...son-drug-test/