American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson tested positive for marijuana during selection for the Tokyo Olympics, from which she could be expelled. After the rumors of the American media, the confirmation came from the athlete herself, considered the favorite for the gold of the 100 after the times of the US Trials with which she had bought the ticket for the Games. according to the New York Times.
In April, she became the sixth fastest woman in the world over distance, with a time of 10 “72, obtained in Florida. After the first rumors, Richardson had tweeted an enigmatic” I am human “, implying that the use of cannabis was for personal purposes, not for doping. But marijuana is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned substances list and a positive result can lead to exclusion from competitions for one month to two years.
The confirmation of the positivity has already triggered the precautionary suspension of Richardson starting from June 28 for a month: the athletics competitions in Tokyo begin on the 30th, now it remains to understand what Usada and Wada will decide. In the event of a longer disqualification, the ranking of the Trials will be changed and the list of qualified for the Games will also change. Meanwhile, Richardson has already presented his defense: he allegedly took drugs “in a psychological state of pain” for the death of his biological mother.