A day after USA Track and Field confirmed that sprint sensation Sha’Carri Richardson would not be on the roster for the women’s 4x100-meter relay at the Olympics as a result of her positive marijuana test, the athlete has spoken out about the decision. “Honestly, that news didn’t bother me because me and my team were realistic, so we kind of figured that they would say that in the first place,” Richardson told TMZ on Wednesday. “I understand the situation that’s going on. So, I’m accepting of it, and I just know what I have to do moving forward in my career.” This adds to Richardson’s tweet from Tuesday evening, where she remarked that “the attention that is on track now and was because of very, very few names. So if that’s where fans support lay, you can’t be mad at that.”
ESPN reported on Tuesday that Team USA chose not to put Richardson on the roster for the Olympic team race, despite the fact that her 30-day suspension ends prior to the start of the relay on August 5. Richardson, who admitted to using marijuana after the unexpected passing of her biological mother, was banned from competing in the women’s 100-meter dash (frequently referred to as the “world’s fastest woman” race) by USA Track and Field upon her positive drug test. The organization lists THC, a chemical found in marijuana, as a banned substance for track-and-field competitors. In a statement, USATF said that it is “incredibly sympathetic toward Sha’Carri Richardson’s extenuating circumstances” and “fully agrees” that international rules regarding marijuana use should be reevaluated.
