On Tuesday, USA Track and Field shared that Sha’Carri Richardson was not selected for the Women’s 4x100 relay team.
As a result, she will not be participating in the Tokyo Olympic games later this summer.
The news comes on the heels of Richardson being disqualified from the 100-meter race after the USA Track & Field detected a chemical found in marijuana during an anti-doping test. Richardson was subsequently banned for 30 days. Prior to today’s news, there was a possibility that Richardson would be included on the relay team as her suspension will have ended by the time the relay race is set to start.
“All U.S.A.T.F. athletes are equally aware of and must adhere to the current antidoping code, and our credibility as the national governing body would be lost if rules were only enforced under certain circumstances,” U.S.A. Track and Field said in a statement, per the New York Times. “So while our heartfelt understanding lies with Sha’Carri, we must also maintain fairness for all of the athletes who attempted to realize their dreams by securing a place on the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team.”
Richardson’s initial Olympic suspension sent ripples across the sports world and social media, with many influencers, athletes, and non-athletes alike, voicing their support for her. Among them were people like Drake, Dwyane Wade, Seth Rogan, and more.
Richardson has addressed the situation on social media and in an interview with NBC’s Today show. During the interview, Richardson said she used marijuana to cope with the death of her biological mother and stress.
“I know I can’t hide myself, so in some type of way, I was trying to hide my pain,” Richardson said on Today.
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