Why testing positive for marijuana ruled Sha’Carri Richardson out of the Olympic 100m
Sha’Carri Richardson will not compete in the women’s 100m at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics
On Friday morning, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced that Richardson had been given a one-month suspension after an anti-doping test on June 19, 2021, came back positive for THC, the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis, marijuana, and hashish. Richardson was given a one-month suspension that lasts through July 28, 2021.
In an interview on TODAY on Friday morning, Richardson confirmed that she ingested marijuana before U.S. Olympic Trials, which were held in Eugene, Oregon, last month. Richardson says she made the decision after learning of the death of her biological mother. “I want to take responsibility for my actions,” she told TODAY host Savannah Guthrie. “I know what I did, I know what I’m supposed to do… To put on a face, to have to go in front of the world… who am I to tell you how to cope when you’re dealing with a pain or you’re dealing with a struggle that you never experienced before.”
Marijuana is legal in Oregon, so why was Sha’Carri Richardson disqualified?
While legal in Oregon, marijuana is banned in athletic competition under the 2021 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code. (It is not banned out of competition.). WADA classifies marijuana as a “Substance of Abuse.” That designation is meant to reflect that the substance isn’t typically used to enhance performance.
In a statement released on Friday morning, USADA explained the reasoning for Richardson’s one-month suspension.
Given that the women’s 100m begins on July 30, and Richardson’s suspension ends on July 28, why isn’t she allowed to compete in the 100m at the Olympics?
If Richardson was from a country other than the U.S., it’s very possible that she would still compete in the women’s 100m at the Tokyo Olympics. After all, her suspension ends before Olympic competition begins, she has the required Olympic standard, and she’s the top-ranked American woman in the event. But the U.S. decides its Olympic track & field team using the results from the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Here is the relevant section of USATF’s official Olympic selection procedures:
Because Richardson was stripped of her first-place result at Trials, the second-, third-, and fourth-place finishers in the women’s 100m will instead be eligible to compete at the Olympics. If any of those athletes decline, the 100m spot will continue being passed down to the next-best top-finisher at U.S. Olympic Trials. All athletes who competed in final and semi final rounds of the women’s 100m at U.S. Olympic Trials have the required Olympic standard.
So Sha’Carri Richardson has no hope of competing at the Tokyo Olympics?
Not exactly. While Richardson isn’t eligible to compete in the women’s 100m after being stripped of her result at U.S. Olympic Trials, USATF uses different procedures to determine the relay team. Here’s the relevant section from the USATF selection procedures: Given those guidelines, it appears possible that Richardson could be selected for the U.S. 4x100m relay team, however, USA Track and Field has not said whether it will consider Richardson for selection. During her interview on TODAY, Richardson was asked whether she hopes to compete in the relay at the Olympics. “Right now, I’m just putting all of my time and energy into dealing with what I need to do with myself,” she said. “If I’m allowed to receive that blessing, then I’m grateful for it. But if not, right now, I’m really just focused on myself.”
