Judgment Handed Down for Sha'Carri Richardson's Olympic Dreams

USA Track and Field released its roster for the U.S.'s 4X100 team today.

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

July 06 2021 3:42 PM EST

July 06 2021 3:53 PM EST

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Celebrated American sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson -- who famously thanked her girlfriend after placing first in the 100-meter women's sprint event at the Olympic track and field trials last month -- will not be on the U.S. 4x100 relay team at the Tokyo Olympics, U.S. Track and Field announced today. The announcement effectively ended Richardson's 2021 Olympic hopes.

Richardson, 21, was disqualified from participating in the 100-meter women's sprint at the upcoming Olympic games because of a positive marijuana test at the June trials. Richardson said marijuana was helping her cope with the pressures of her sport and the recent news she received, from a reporter during an interview, that her biological mother had died.

Because of the test, Richardson received a 30-day suspension from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Since the 30 days expired before the 4x100 relay in Tokyo, there was hope Richardson could compete in that competition. But while expressing sympathy for Richardson, U.S. Track and Field stated today that allowing her to participate, even in the 4X100, would violate its rules and an exception would be unfair to her peers.

"It would be detrimental to the integrity of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track & Field if USATF amended its policies following competition, only weeks before the Olympic Games," USATF's statement read. "All USATF athletes are equally aware of and must adhere to the current anti-doping code, and our credibility as the National Governing Body would be lost if rules were only enforced under certain circumstances," the organization said in a statement.