21-year-old American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson became a sensation in April when she ran the sixth fastest women’s 100-meter race of all time, according to the Olympics’ records. She was expected to go to Tokyo this summer and likely bring home the gold, but tested positive for marijuana when tested in Oregon this week, which is against the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Vice reports that she has accepted a 30-day suspension, which will shut her out of participating in her main event.
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Richardson made an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show on Friday morning to offer an apology, saying, “I know what I did. I know what I’m supposed to do. I know what I’m allowed not to do, and I still made that decision.”
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She also explained that she smoked marijuana shortly after a reporter told her that her biological mother had died on the eve of her first Olympic trials. Weed is supposedly outlawed because of an outdated 2011 study that suggests THC enhances athletic performance, but a study published in 2017, 2018, and 2020 disagree—as does Richardson.
“It’s never been a steroid. It will never be a steroid,” Richardson said. “I would just say, don’t judge me. Because I am human. I’m you, I just happen to run a little faster.”
She tweeted the same sentiment shortly after the news broke:
A lot of people seem to understand that, and many are enraged on Richardson’s behalf. As marijuana becomes legalized across the country, the drug testing rules seem like an outdated throwback to another era that is boxing an accomplished young woman out of her career for no good reason:
I didn’t realize she smoked after finding out her mother died from a reporter………OK this just went from enraging to heartbreaking
https://t.co/mdI2wtxw4C
— Muna (@Muna_Mire) July 2, 2021
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On the bright side, Richardson is young and has the potential for many more Olympic events ahead.
*First Published: July 2, 2021, 8:14 am
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