Sha’Carri Richardson, a sprinter representing Team US, has been disqualified from competing in the 100m event at the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for marijuana during the US Olympic trials.
In an interview with NBC on Friday, Richardson revealed that she had used the substance as a way of coping with the news of her mother’s passing just before the race. Despite winning the 100m trials with a time of 10.86 seconds, Richardson’s positive drug test invalidates her performance and disqualifies her from the event, dashing her hopes of winning the gold medal at the Olympics this year.
“I take full responsibility for my actions. I am aware of the rules and the consequences,” Richardson expressed in the interview. She further stated, “My abilities are purely natural. There is no association of performance-enhancing drugs with my name. It was marijuana. Please don’t judge me; I’m only human.”
The suspension from competition came into effect on June 28th. However, according to the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code, Richardson may have the opportunity to shorten her ban to just one month if she can prove that the drug use occurred outside of competition, did not enhance her performance, and if she agrees to participate in a drug rehabilitation program.
There remains a possibility that she could still participate in the Olympics as part of the 4x100m relay team.
