Richardson has a magnetic combination of speed and charisma. But her use of marijuana before an event has jeopardized her chance to compete in Tokyo.
When Sha’Carri Richardson starts talking, the declarations are grand. “I am it.” “I am who I say I am.” “Talent is talent. If you got it, you go fast.” Her performances have been just as bold. Richardson,21, could claim to be America’s fastest woman after winning the 100 meters at the U.S. track and field Olympic trials last month in Oregon, drawing attention for her speed, outspoken nature and billowing orange hair in homage to her athletic hero. Her time of 10.86 seconds instantly made her a gold medal favorite at the Tokyo Olympics that begin this month, mostly because it was not even the fastest she has run this year. Yet her place on the team is in jeopardy because of her marijuana use, putting her at the center of debate and discussion about the drug and the fairness of the rules of the sport as it searches for its next big track star in the United States. U.S. antidoping officials and Richardson confirmed Friday that she tested positive for marijuana at the trials, disqualifying her from her signature event. Although many states and countries are loosening restrictions on marijuana, it is categorized as a performance-enhancing drug in track in some cases and its use is banned within 24 hours of an event. The primary reason for its prohibition is that it can be used to relax athletes ahead of competition, which can in turn enhance performance. On the “Today” show on NBC Friday morning, Richardson apologized. She said she had used the drug to deal with the pressure of competing on the biggest stage of her career and to cope with the news that her biological mother had died, which she said she had learned from a reporter during an interview just days before her event on June 20. “I apologize for the fact that I didn’t know how to control my emotions or deal with my emotions during that time,” Richardson said. She is the latest American track and field star to have their Olympics jeopardized by a drug ruling — violations that have put American athletes and officials in an awkward position, because they have spent years calling for harsher penalties against Russia for doping offenses. Christian Coleman, the men’s world champion in the 100 meters, is serving an 18-month suspension for missing multiple drug tests. Shelby Houlihan, the American record-holder in the 1,500 meters, was suspended for four years last month after testing positive for nandrolone, an anabolic steroid. On Friday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Swiss-based highest arbiter of such cases, upheld a five-year suspension for Brianna McNeal, the 2016 Olympic champion in the 100-meter hurdles, for tampering with paperwork related to her explanations for missing a drug test.
