Sha’Carri Richardson has been in the public eye a lot this past week over her one-month suspension from track and field competition after testing positive for her Marijuana test. The test, carried out after the 100m sprint finals at the Olympic trials, did not go her way, and now her participation in the Tokyo Games itself is debated. 

Richardson won the 100m spin finals held at the Hayward Field stadium in Eugene Oregon. As the gold medallist, she emerged as the favorite to win big at the Tokyo Olympics and fans immediately started touting her as the next FloJo. 

However, days later it was reported that she failed the marijuana test carried out after the race. This meant that all her achievements art the track that day were discarded but the worse was yet to come. The US Anti Doping Agency handed her a one-month ban for the offense, effectively ruling her out of the event in Tokyo. 

This means she won’t be able to compete in the 100m sprint finals and has lost a huge opportunity for Olympic Gold. “I’m sorry, I can’t be y’all Olympic Champ this year but I promise I’ll be your World Champ next year,” Richardson wrote in a tweet.

Sha’Carri Richardson could still compete at the Tokyo Olympics

All hope is not lost, however, as the ban will end before the 4x100m relay event which Sha’Carri has also qualified for. This means that she is eligible to perform at that event, but this decision falls on the USATF and USOPC authorities. 

Fans and athletes alike have been criticizing the decision immensely, arguing that marijuana cannot be considered a performance-enhancing drug. They also put forth the point that Marijuana is legal in Oregon, where the trials were carried out. 

Read more: Meet Jenna Prandini- The Athlete to Replace Sha’Carri Richardson in the 100m Sprint at the Tokyo Olympics 2021

Richardson also claims she smoked marijuana as a way to cope with some painful news. A week ahead of the trials, she was informed that her biological mother had passed away. This impacted her deeply and she found her own way of dealing with it. 

The ban does sound unfair to many, but Sha’Carri Richardson has accepted the full responsibility of her decision. She is eager to win the World Championship next year but will have to sacrifice the dream of heading to the Olympics this time.