On Friday, American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson apologized for failing a drug test for the Olympic 100-meter sprint. She tested positive for cannabis at the U.S. Track and Field trials for the Tokyo Olympics. The young athlete is under a 30-day suspension period. She might be allowed to be a part of the Women’s Relay time, after her the end of her suspension period.
The American sprinter told Savannah Guthrie, host of Today, that she used marijuana after a reporter asked her about her birth mother’s death. She mentioned that she was not looking for sympathy.
She said that she knew what she did, and she also knew what she was supposed to do and what she was not allowed to do. She said that she still made that decision (to take the banned item – cannabis).
She said that the shocking news of her birth mother’s death from a stranger was a trigger, but she did not blame him and said he was doing his job as a reporter. However, she said that the news was a trigger and “blinding.” She believed that since she couldn’t hide herself, she tried to hide her pain.
Earlier, Richardson had made a place for herself in the upcoming Olympics by dashing through 100 meters in a short time of 10.86 seconds. Her speed and her style made her a unique sprinter. She broke the mold by running with her long, flowing orange hair swaying behind her as well as her trademark long fingernails. Earlier, Sports Illustrated had said that she was the best hope for a Women’s gold medal in Track and Field events for the nation.
On Thursday, a Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner was the first to report that the 21-year-old sprinter had failed her drug test last month during the U.S. Track and Field trials conducted before the Olympics.
The New York Times confirmed the report and said that testing positive for marijuana automatically disqualified the young sprinter. The Times also said that it was unsure whether she would appeal the test results and the disqualification.
On Friday, Sha’Carri Richardson athlete frankly admitted that she made a mistake, owned it, and accepted the penalty of a 30-day suspension.
The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to begin on July 23, 2021. The first round of the 100-meter race is expected to take place on July 30.
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