The United States’ top women’s sprinter for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics may not be able to compete. On Thursday, Richardson was pulled from the Diamond League event in Stockholm with no official reasoning given, but in the morning she simply tweeted, “I am human.”
I am human
— Sha’Carri Richardson (@itskerrii) July 1, 2021
Later in the day, word emerged from the Jamaica Gleaner and later confirmed by Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer that Richardson had produced a positive drug test at the U.S. Olympic Trials, where she qualified first in the 100 meter event with a 10.86 second run in the finals. It was not a positive PED test that has Richardson in trouble, but traces of marijuana that has Richardson potentially missing the biggest meet of her life.
Sha’Carri Richardson did not use steroids, according to a source. Richardson is facing a 30-day suspension for testing positive for marijuana. https://t.co/abQRiOJkEV
— Tyler Dragon (@TheTylerDragon) July 2, 2021
Given where we are in 2021 with more and more places legalizing recreational marijuana, many were upset that Richardson could miss the Olympics because of traces of marijuana being found in her system — on top of the fact that weed is not in any way a performance enhancer. The suspension could be 1-3 months, and even if it is on the shorter end of that, the star sprinter could miss the start of the 100 meter rounds at the Olympics, forcing the U.S. to turn to the fourth-place finisher Jenna Prandini for the third spot on the team.
Richardson is expected to be suspended during the 100m at the Olympics but she might get to run on the 4×100 relay.
— Tyler Dragon (@TheTylerDragon) July 2, 2021
As Dragon notes, it’s possible under a one month ban, Richardson could still compete in the team event as a key member of the 4×100 team, but it’s still a brutal way to lose one of the potential biggest stars of the Games before it even starts.
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