Despite not being able to run at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to failing a drug test, Sha’Carri Richardson will be making her way back to the track in about a month.
On Aug. 21, Richardson is attending the Prefontaine Classic track meet in Oregon where she will line up in the starting blocks in a race that she’s known to dominate, the 100 meters. In addition to that, she will be running the 200 meters.
“I’m looking forward to running fast and putting on a show,” she said in a press release.
The 21-year-old is currently waiting out a one-month suspension after she tested positive for marijuana. Hours after the devastating news broke the internet, Richardson appeared on the “Today” show to explain her side of things. She shared that took the drug in order to cope with her mother’s recent death.
Although it was a great moment for Richardson to earn a spot in her first Olympics at the Olympic Trials, she also shared with reporters in a post-race interview that she lost her mother a week prior to running the 100 meters final in the Trials.
“To have to go in front of the world and put on a face and hide my pain, who are you or who am I to tell you how to cope,” she explained of that moment on “Today.” She also said of her positive test, “I want to take responsibility for my actions,” and added that she’s “Not making an excuse or looking for any empathy.”
Richardson’s ban will end on July 28, which means it would have ended in time for her to compete at the 4×100 meter relay race at the Olympics. However, the USA Track and Field revealed that it would not include her in the relay race either.
In a statement on July 6, they released a statement offering their sympathies to Richardson but also reiterating the importance of the rules and fairness. They said, “While our heartfelt understanding lies with Sha’ Carri, we must maintain fairness for all of the athletes who attempted to realize their dreams by securing a place by the U.S. Olympic Track & Field team.”
