On June 19, 21-year-old Sha’Carri Richardson became an overnight household name after winning the 100-meter dash in a time of 10.86 seconds at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, and earned a spot at the Tokyo Olympics. Her post-win interview—“I’m that girl,” she told NBC—heartfelt embrace with her grandma after her win, and serious Flo-Jo vibes teased that she might become the next track icon.
Then on July 1, news broke that the sprinter would not be competing in the 100-meter event in Tokyo. The reason? She tested positive for marijuana, resulting in a 30-day ban from the sport. Her positive test result disqualified her win from the Trials. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced on July 2 that she accepted the one-month suspension for an anti-doping violation for a “substance of abuse.” (According to the USADA, this refers to a substance used outside of sport and not for performance benefits.)
The one-month sanction, which began on June 28, will expire just in time for the 100-meter relay event at the Olympic Games. And, unlike with the individual 100-meter event, which sends the top three finishers to the Olympic Games, track officials are able to choose at least two athletes for the relay regardless of their Trials performances. Gold-medal buzz surrounding Richardson intensified last spring when she won the 100 meters with a time of 10.72 seconds—making hers the sixth-fastest time in history. Undoubtedly, she would be an asset to any relay team.
So for several days that followed news of Richardson’s ban, media speculated that Richardson would potentially still be able to make it to the Olympics, albeit not in the 100-meter marquee event.
But on Tuesday, Richardson’s name was not on the roster for the USA Track and Field (USATF) team selections.
“While USATF fully agrees that the merit of the World Anti-Doping Agency rules related to THC should be reevaluated, it would be detrimental to the integrity of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track & Field if USATF amended its policies following competition, only weeks before the Olympic Games,” the organization said in a statement. “All USATF athletes are equally aware of and must adhere to the current anti-doping code, and our credibility as the National Governing Body would be lost if rules were only enforced under certain circumstances. So while our heartfelt understanding lies with Sha’Carri, we must also maintain fairness for all of the athletes who attempted to realize their dreams by securing a place on the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team.”
According to a report from The New York Times, Richardson is now one of four elite U.S. runners missing the Games due to a doping violation. (Shelby Houlihan, a medal favorite in the 5,000 meters and American record-holder in that event, tested positive for nandrolone shortly before the Trials, while Christian Coleman and Brianna McNeal are under suspension for missing drug tests.)
In an interview with the Today show, Richardson admitted that she used marijuana the week before the race to cope after learning from a reporter that her biological mother had died. (Shortly after news of her suspension broke, USATF released a statement pledging to ensure Richardson was equipped with appropriate mental health resources now and going forward.)
The news also sparked debate among running fans, professional athletes, and experts about whether THC belongs on the list of banned substances in the first place. For something to be on the prohibited list, the substance must meet two of the three criteria, according to the USADA: It must pose a health risk to athletes; have the potential to enhance performance; or violate the spirit of sport. A 2021 research review published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness concluded that cannabis “does not act as a sport performance enhancing agent as raised by popular beliefs.” It also set off conversations as to whether Black female athletes are held to unfair standards.
According to The New York Times, Richardson’s agent said she did not petition the decision to leave her off the relay team. And even before the relay team was confirmed, Richardson appeared eager to move forward and look toward the future.
On July 3, she tweeted, “I’m sorry, I can’t be y’all Olympic Champ this year but I promise I’ll be your World Champ next year.” The 2022 World Athletics Championships are set to take place at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon—the same venue where the Olympic Trials took place this year.
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