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It’s a sad day for Sha’Carri Richardson after learning that she won’t be competing at the Tokyo Olympics. After testing positive for THC, the chemical in marijuana, the 21-year-old track, and field sprinter was suspended from the Olympic team and subsequently removed.
Last month Richardson won the women’s 100-meter race; however, after her disqualification, the coaches had to select the next six finishers in the 100-meter race, according to ESPN. The trainers believed that not doing so would be unfair for the other members of the team.
The New York Times informed that the U.S.A. Track and Field expressed its sympathy to Richardson through a statement and asked to evaluate anti-doping rules.
“All U.S.A.T.F. athletes are equally aware of and must adhere to the current antidoping code, and our credibility as the national governing body would be lost if rules were only enforced under certain circumstances,” the organization said. “So while our heartfelt understanding lies with Sha’Carri, we must also maintain fairness for all of the athletes who attempted to realize their dreams by securing a place on the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team.”
When Sha’Carri got suspended for a month, she wasn’t expecting that this would end in her complete disqualification; therefore, she promised her fans that the situation wouldn’t be the end of her road to the Olympic games. “Right now, I’m just putting all of my energy into dealing with what I need to deal with to heal myself,” Richardson said on NBC’s Today show. “I want to take responsibility for my actions,” she added.
“I’m not looking for an excuse. I would like to say to my fans and my family and my sponsorship, to the haters, too, I apologize.”
“As much as I’m disappointed, I know that when I step on that track, I don’t represent myself; I represent a community that has shown me great support, great love,” she added.
“I’m sorry, I can’t be y’all Olympic Champ this year, but I promise I’ll be your World Champ next year,” Sha’Carri wrote on Twitter. She also said that few athletes were able to bring attention to the track and field. “The attention that is on track now and was because of very, very few names. So if that’s where fans support lay, you can’t be mad at that,” she concluded.