American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, a medal favorite in the 100-meter dash at the upcoming Olympics, tested positive for marijuana and likely won’t be able to run at the Tokyo Games, she confirmed to the Today Show on Friday morning.
Richardson tested positive for THC, the primary psychoactive compound of cannabis, last month at U.S. Olympic Trials, where she won the 100. She has been retroactively disqualified, and her place in the event in Tokyo handed to the fourth-place finisher at trials, Jenna Prandini. Gabby Thomas, who finished fifth, will become the alternate.
It’s unclear whether Richardson could appeal and still compete in Tokyo, or whether USA Track & Field might consider naming her to a relay team.
“Right now,” Richardson said, “I’m just putting all of my time and energy into dealing with what I need to deal with to heal myself. If I’m allowed to receive that blessing, then I’m grateful for it. But if not, right now, I’m gonna just focus on myself.”
Richardson confirmed Friday that she ingested marijuana just days before Olympic trials, after learning of the death of her biological mother. She said she learned of her mother’s death from a reporter, “a complete stranger.” She said that experience was “definitely triggering” and “nerve-shocking,” and that it sent her into “a state of emotional pain.”
She did not say specifically that that is why she used marijuana, but spoke about “dealing with my mental health,” and having to “put on a face” with cameras on her, in the biggest moment of her track career. “I know that I can’t hide myself, so at least, in some type of way, I would just try to hide my pain,” she said.
On Thursday, after learning of the positive test, she tweeted: “I am human.”
On Friday, Richardson apologized to fans and sponsors, and took responsibility for her actions. “I know what I did, I know what I’m supposed to do, what I’m allowed not to do,” she said. “And I still made that decision.”
Although marijuana is legal in Oregon, where trials were taking place, and in other U.S. states, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) considers cannabis a “substance of abuse.” All cannabis-based products except for cannabidiol, or CBD, are on WADA’s 2021 Prohibited List and banned “in-competition.” The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and USA Track and Field adhere to WADA’s code.
The maximum punishment for a positive test is a years-long suspension. The minimum length is one month. WADA guidance states that, “if the athlete can establish that any ingestion or use occurred out-of-competition and was unrelated to sport performance, then the period of Ineligibility shall be three months.” And it “may be reduced to one month if the athlete satisfactorily completes a substance of abuse treatment program.”
The one-month suspension is backdated to begin the day of the positive test, which would make Richardson eligible in time for Tokyo. But her win at U.S. trials has been nullified by the positive test, and she is therefore be unable to compete at the Olympics. USATF rules require it to send the top three finishers at trials.
Richardson, 21, had been widely considered a potential breakout star at the Olympics. She won the 100 at trials in 10.86 seconds.
The former LSU star turned pro after her first season with the Tigers, but not before she won the NCAA title and set a record in the 100 after running it in just 10.75 seconds. Just before trials in April, Richardson ran the sixth-fastest time in the history of the event, a personal best of 10.72.
Only one other person in the world — Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price — has recorded a faster 100 time this year. Fraser-Price, who ran it in 10.63 seconds, is a two-time gold medalist in the event. Their showdown was one of the most anticipated races at the Olympics, which begin July 23.