The double sentence is confirmed. Already excluded from the 100 m individual, Sha’Carri Richardson will not participate in the Olympic relay either: the American, sensation of the world sprint this season, tested positive for THC after having smoked cannabis, was not selected for the 4x100m, seeing his last chance to go to Tokyo soar, in a case that is tearing the world of sport – and beyond – in the United States.
The 21-year-old sportswoman admitted Friday to having tested positive for marijuana during the American selections at the end of June. Suspended for one month of June 28 by the American Anti-Doping Agency (Usada), her results as of June 19 were canceled, including her qualification for the Olympic 100m, obtained on the tartan of Eugene (Oregon).
Her suspension ending on July 28, which theoretically left her the possibility of participating in the Olympic 4x100m relay – the relay heats starting on August 5 – if she was selected by the American Athletics Federation (USATF) and that choice was then approved by the US Olympic Committee. But the USATF decided otherwise. Richardson’s name is not on the list of participants in the Olympic 4x100m relay unveiled Tuesday night, the federation explaining that it had the responsibility to “maintain fairness” for all athletes.
Cannabis debate
“First and foremost, we fully understand Sha’Carri Richardson’s extenuating circumstances and we highly applaud the responsibility she has shown, and we will offer her our continued support on and off the track,” said the ‘USATF. “While the USATF agrees that the merits of the World Anti-Doping Agency rules relating to THC (cannabis) should be reassessed, it would be detrimental to the integrity of the US Olympic track and field team trials if the “USATF was changing its competition policy just weeks before the Olympics,” she added.
“All USATF athletes are also aware of the current anti-doping code and must adhere to it, and our credibility as a national governing body would be lost if the rules were only applied in certain circumstances,” the federation concluded.
Even though cannabis is legal in Oregon, the substance is on the prohibited 24-hour list because it can reduce stress. But many athletes, including Patrick Mahomes and Megan Rapinoe were outraged. Actor Seth Rogen quipped: “If marijuana made you fast, I would be Florence Griffith Joyner”, world record holder since 1988.
“The rules are the rules”
Richardson, 21, caused a sensation last April when she became the sixth fastest woman in distance history, clocking 10.72 seconds at a meeting in Florida. The pocket runner (1.55 m) then positioned herself in a lightning way as the main rival of the two arrows from Jamaica, the Olympic champions Elaine Thompson (2016) and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (2008, 2012).
“I would like to tell my fans, my family and my sponsors that I apologize. I knew it wasn’t allowed, but I did it anyway, ”Richardson defended after his positive cannabis test. “To all of you, I apologize for not knowing how to control my emotions during this time,” she added. The young woman spoke of “a painful emotional state” after learning of the death of her biological mother in the middle of an interview, to justify taking drugs. Asked about it, Joe Biden expressed his sympathy for the young athlete but recalled: “The rules are the rules”