Sha’Carri Richardson taunted USA Track and Field for removing her from the Tokyo Olympics as punishment for failing a marijuana drug test, tweeting ‘Missing me yet?’ on Friday after the mixed relay team that she would have been part of was temporarily disqualified.
Richardson was expected to win the women’s 200m race after qualifying with the fastest time in the world. She would have also competed in the mixed relay 4x400m, the final of which will take place on Saturday.
She was dropped from the team roster at the start of the month after failing a drug test, testing positive for THC – the chemical component found in marijuana.
She explained afterwards that she was grieving the loss of her biological mother when she ingested the drugs, and that she’s ‘only human’.
After the mixed 4×400 relay team was temporarily disqualified on Friday, Richardson – who would have been a part of it – tweeted this. They were reinstated later
Richardson was expected to win the women’s 200m race after qualifying with the fastest time in the world. She would have also competed in the mixed relay 4×4 race that took place on Friday, but she was left off the roster after failing a drug test. She tested positive for THC – the chemical component found in marijuana – and was axed from the team despite her prospects
It’s unclear what form she took the THC in.
On Friday, the American relay team was temporarily disqualified over a faulty hand-off.
Richardson tweeted afterwards, before they were reinstated. They ended up winning their heat and will compete in the final on Saturday night.
The issue was over a race official placing one of the runners – Lynna Irby – in the wrong place, according to The New York Times, which spoke with the team coach afterwards.
Elijah Goodwin was passing the baton to Irby but race officials ruled she was standing too far up the track when she received it, and disqualified the entire team – which had won the heat comfortably.
Friday’s team was Goodwin, Irby, Bryce Deadmon and Taylor Manson.
They appealed the decision, saying Irby had been told to stand where she was by a race official, and they were reinstated.
If she makes the line-up on Saturday, Allyson Felix may win her tenth Olympic title.
Team USA were temporarily disqualified from the 4×400 race after their heat on Friday. Race officials claimed Lynna Irby was outside the passing zone when she took the baton from Elijah Goodwin
The team was temporarily disqualified but they were reinstated in the early hours. Above, Irby is emotional as she learns of the disqualification while standing next to teammates Bryce Deadmon and Taylor Manson
Earlier in the week, Sha’Carri shared her support for Simone Biles after she withdrew from two gymnastics events over mental health concerns
Sha’Carri said after she was removed from the team that she ingested marijuana while grieving her biological mother whose death she found out about from a reporter
Richardson has not apologized for failing the drug test and instead has doubled down on her use of THC, which is legal but against doping rules.
THC is the component of marijuana that induces a high, whereas CBD is considered more medicinal, for anti-inflammatory purposes.
CBD is allowed and it’s endorsed by soccer star Megan Rapinoe, who has her own CBD company.
Some of Sha’Carri’s fans say it’s unfair that Rapinoe can promote her own CBD business while competing, even though she is not traveling with it because of international laws which prevent it.
On Wednesday, as Simone Biles’ withdrawal from gymnastic events caused a dramatic upset, Sha’Carri tweeted again that she was ‘human’.
Biles withdrew for mental health reasons and was both supported and criticized for the decision publicly. Some, like mental health charities, lauded her for addressing her mental health needs whereas others said it left her teammates in the lurch.
She said she was overwhelmed with the support she received and that it proved to her she is ‘more than gymnastics’.
Sha’Carri tweeted an image on Wednesday in support of her.
It showed Biles with the words ‘more than an athlete’ on the back.
She said: ‘I’ll say it again. I’m human.’