Dozens of athletes and celebrities have thrown their support behind track and field athlete Sha’Carri Richardson after she was suspended for testing positive for THC, the main psychoactive component found in marijuana.
The 21-year-old made waves last month after she ran the 100 meters in an incredible 10.86 seconds and set her sights on winning a gold medal at the upcoming 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
According to a statement from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Richardson accepted her suspension for an anti-doping violation. Her competitive results obtained on June 19, including her Olympic qualifying results at the Team Trials, have also been disqualified.
“The rules are clear, but this is heartbreaking on many levels; hopefully, her acceptance of responsibility and apology will be an important example to us all that we can successfully overcome our regrettable decisions, despite the costly consequences of this one to her,” said USADA CEO Travis Tygart in a statement.
USA Track and Field released a statement saying that the situation is “incredibly unfortunate and devastating for everyone involved.” Team USA also responded to the situation, saying it was “heartbroken.”
Sha’Carri wrote a brief message on Twitter:
Dozens of athletes and celebrities came to Richardson’s defense, urging the International Olympic Committee to let her compete in the upcoming games.
Nike also threw its support behind Richardson in a statement:
In addition, several celebrities and public figures expressed frustration at the situation.
Track star Sha’Carri Richardson has been suspended from the U.S. Olympic Teamafter THC was found in her system after a recent drug test.
The 21-year-old ran the 100 meters in 10.86 seconds which put the USA in contention for a gold medal at this year’s 2021 Tokyo Olympics. As Marijuana is prohibited by both USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), Richardson’s qualifying times have been cleared from the records, moving every sprinter below her time up one spot.
Richardson commented that her use of Marijuana was due to the pain she felt after losing her mother just before the trials, following up with the tweet, “I am human.” During this ordeal, there are two vocal camps reacting to the news over Twitter: One arguing the “rules are rules” narrative while the other denouncing cannabis as a performance-enhancing drug.
There are also rumors floating around saying that Richardson would still be able to compete in the 4×100-meter relay as her suspension would be up by then, but chances are slim. This bit of bad news would be enough to destroy most athletes’ spirit but Richardson is staying strong in pointing out that she is still young, will be back to compete, and that this will never happen again.
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