Sha'Carri Richardson won't be allowed to compete in the 100-meters at the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for THC.
NBC News reports that Richardson was suspended from the Olympic team after failing a drug test following her women's 100-meter race victory at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials last month. Richardson's Olympic qualifying results have been disqualified, and she has accepted a one-month period of ineligibility that began June 28.
Richardson became the fastest woman in America after she ran the 100-meter heat in 10.61 seconds at the trials in Eugene, Oregon. Though marijuana is legal in the state, as well as 19 other states, Washington D.C., and Guam, marijuana is considered a banned substance of abuse by the World Anti-Doping Agency and U.S. Track and Field.
Richardson told TODAY that the loss of her biological mother the week before the trials played a part in her marijuana use. Richardson learned about her mother's death from a reporter during a media appearance days before the trials. She that hearing the news from a complete stranger was "nerve-shocking."
"(I'm) not making an excuse or looking for any empathy in my case, but, however, being in that position in my life, finding out something like that, something that I would say is probably one of the biggest things that have impacted me ... that definitely was a very heavy topic on me," she said.
Richardson's suspension for using a non-addictive, legal substance that likely had little to no effect on her race performance is devastating. It's also heartbreaking that Richardson now has to relive her pain over her mother's death and share it with the world.
"People don’t understand what it’s like to have to … go in front of the world and put on a face and hide my pain. Who am I to tell you how to cope when you’re dealing with the pain or you’re dealing with a struggle that you haven’t experienced before or that you thought you never would have to deal with?" she said.
Richardson also referenced a Tweet she posted yesterday which simply said, "I am human."
"Don’t judge me because I am human. I’m you, I just happen to run a little faster," she said on TODAY.
Richardson's suspension is another example of the demands that sports competition organizers put on athletes, while forgetting that the champions are still human. It's also another instance, soon after Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from the French Open, that shows that the mental health of Black athletes needs to be more of a priority in professional sports.
The 21-year-old said that, though there is still a chance she can compete in other races, right now she'd focusing on healing.
"Right now, I’m just putting all of my time and energy into dealing with what I need to do, which is heal myself. So if I’m allowed to receive that blessing, then I’m grateful for it, but if not, right now I’m going to just focus on myself."
She also apologized to her supporters, saying that she struggled to deal with her emotions. "I greatly apologize if I let you guys down, and I did."
Here's hoping that Sha'Carri will still be able to compete this year.
Quinci LeGardye is an LA-based freelance writer who covers culture, politics, and mental health through a Black feminist lens. When she isn’t writing or checking Twitter, she’s probably watching the latest K-drama or giving a concert performance in her car.
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