Professional track and field athletes have to endure tough training and long hours on the track to qualify for international competitions. Beating a record is no child’s play, but every runner wants to be the fastest. Controversies like the suspension of Sha’Carri Richardson right before the Olympics make headlines pretty often. 

The risk of doping in a sport saturated with top athletes is high. Steroid use and doping controversies always put a damper on the spectator’s excitement after seeing their favorites take home the gold. But are all doping bans ‘fair’ to the athletes?

Sha’Carri Richardson speaks out on the unfairness

The sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson took to Twitter to voice her opinion on the US Anti-Doping Agency’s rules and regulations and claimed there is a double standard. She wrote, “Once again @usantidoping give us all these rules but can not follow themselves.Stop giving us rules that y’all can bend just to get more money. The ones behind the desk who probably has never been a high level athlete need to be held accountable at the same level as the athletes!”

The sprinter tested positive for marijuana in July 2021. Just a month prior, she ran a 10.86 in the women’s 100-meter dash at the US Olympics trials. Though marijuana is legal in the state of Oregon, it is classified as a “substance of abuse” by WADA. Therefore, it invalidated her run. She explained she used it as a coping mechanism after her mother died.

Trending

Adopted Simone Biles Opens on Unusual Family Situation: “My Biological Mom Is Also My Dad’s Daughter”

April 20, 2024 03:35 PM EDT

Despite Congratulating Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill Admits ‘Running Away’ to Escape Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Win

April 22, 2024 04:01 AM EDT

Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson’s Track World “No Longer a Platform for Great Personalities” Claims US Legend

April 21, 2024 10:35 PM EDT

NFL Draft: Look Back at Russell Wilson’s Ex-Wife Ashton Meem’s Viral Reaction on 2012 Draft Day After Seattle Seahawks Picked Him in 3rd Round

April 21, 2024 08:58 PM EDT

“Mad at My Parents”: Simone Biles Blames Texas Law for Missing a Normal Teenage Life While Chasing Gymnastics Dream

April 20, 2024 03:45 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Sha’Carri Richardson Roars at US Sports Authorities Ahead of Track Season Debut

Since then, Richardson has spoken up about the unfairness of the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Olympic Committee frequently. She even made headlines for criticizing the IOC’s decision to let Russian skater Kamila Valieva take part in the Beijing Olympics after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

The long list of banned substances

WADA’s list of prohibited substances and methods contains hundreds of items which are updated annually. Subsequently, WADA has divided the list into substances and methods that are prohibited at all times, or prohibited only in competition. 

Even if a substance is not explicitly mentioned on the list, it can be grounds for suspension. Here, it depends on whether any governmental regulatory health authority currently approves it for human therapeutic use. Or if it has a similar chemical structure or biological effect(s) as banned drugs.

Drug testing in track has often led to bans that the public does not entirely agree with. Fans have criticized Sha’Carri Richardson’s ban for using marijuana. One reason is that the idea of THC being performance-enhancing for her particular discipline is spurious at best. 

Similarly, in the 2010-11 season, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce suffered a six-month suspension for testing positive for Oxycodone that she said she took for toothache. But Oxycodone, too, can not be classified as a performance-enhancing drug or a masking agent.

“Stop Posting My Name”- Sha’Carri Richardson Leaves Fans in Splits as She Openly Attacks USATF