Despite high expectations for Sha’Carri Richardson to compete for the 100m sprint gold in Tokyo, her chances of participating in this year’s Olympics were shattered when she was excluded from the 4x100m relay team selection.
The US Olympic Track and Field organization revealed the relay team members on Tuesday. Richardson had previously received a one-month suspension for testing positive for marijuana at the US Olympic Trials in June, causing her 100m sprint result to be invalidated.
Although her ban concluded before the relay events started in early August, the US team had the option to make two discretionary picks after selecting the fastest four runners from the trials. This left a glimmer of hope for Richardson to potentially secure a medal in Japan. However, her name was notably absent from the list of 130 athletes disclosed by USATF who will represent the US at the Olympics.
USATF expressed understanding of Sha’Carri Richardson’s difficult circumstances and endorsed a reevaluation of the international regulations concerning cannabis usage in sports.
Renaldo Nehemiah, Richardson’s agent, mentioned that he has yet to discuss USATF’s decision with her.
