Why Did Sha’Carri Richardson Get Suspended From Tokyo Olympics? Inside Incident

Sha’Carri Richardson qualified for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo , though was memorably suspended before the games were held in 2021. Why was Sha'Carri suspended from the Tokyo Olympics and what has she said about the situation?

Why Did Sha'Carri Richardson Get Suspended From Tokyo Olympics?

The track and field sprinter qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in June 2021 after she won the 100m sprint at the U.S. Olympic Trials at just 10.86 seconds. However, Sha’Carri wasn’t able to celebrate for long when her hopes of competing in the Olympics were derailed after she tested positive for cannabis use.

After she admitted to using cannabis, Sha’Carri accepted a one-month suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency in July 2021. Her suspension was lifted two days before the women’s 100m event was scheduled to take place at the Tokyo Olympics, though she was unable to compete because her Olympic qualifying results had been annulled in light of the situation.

What Did Sha'Carri Richardson Say About Her Suspension From the Tokyo Olympics?

Sha’Carri didn’t deny her drug use, and said she wanted "to take responsibility for [her[ actions” during an appearance on the Today show on July 2, 2021. "I know what I did, I know what I'm supposed to do ... and I still made that decision,” she said at the time.

The athlete added that she had smoked marijuana to cope with the death of her biological mother, adding that she heard the news from a reporter during an interview that was held before the trials.

She continued to reflect on the situation during an August 2021 interview with the Today show. "It was a moment of bitterness, but at the same time it was sweet because it just gives me more time, it gives me more to show the world that I'm here to stay,” Sha’Carri said. “And it just guarantees that I'm going to be here just a little bit longer in the game, but definitely watching it made me want to push forward and just grow from that."

Sha'Carri Richardson Returned for the 2024 Olympics

Sha'Carri was eventually able to compete during the 2024 Olympics in Paris , where she won silver in the Women's 100m final.

Prior to the Olympics, the Texas native opened up about her thought process going into the games during an interview with Vogue .

“It’s like chess,” she said when asked how she was approaching each race. “Every move you make is leading to checkmate. So the Olympics, okay, that’s checkmate, that’s the moment an athlete dreams about. But every race I have leading up to that matters too—that’s my opportunity to grow, so by the time I’m on the track in Paris, I know I’ve done my trial and error.”

Sha'Carri then explained that she was trying to focus on the present in order to not get wrapped up in the stress of the Olympics. “Because if all I’m doing is looking ahead, then I can’t be where I need to be. Which is here, now,” she shared.