Rails star Sha’Carri Richardson as direct as it is fast.
Hours after news broke that she was going to be suspended from the U.S. Olympic team for a month because of a failed drug test, the 21-year-old, who was a big favorite to win 100 meters gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, remained , flawless July 2nd interview on Today Show.
“I want to take responsibility for my actions,” she said, saying she tested positive for marijuana, a violation of the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code. “I know what I’ve done, I know what I’m doing should, I know what not to do, and I made this decision anyway. ” The choice, the NCAA champion explained, came after she learned in the middle of the interview that her birth mother had died. Hearing this news from a reporter a week before the Oregon Olympic Trials put her in a state of “emotional panic.”
“It’s definitely triggering,” added Sha’Carri, “just blinded by emotion, blinded by bad news, blinded by sheer pain.” Unable to hide on the eve of such a career changing race, “at least in some way I was trying to hide my pain”.
Sha’Carri first attracted nationwide attention on June 19 when she secured her spot on the U.S. Olympic team after winning the women’s 100-meter race in Eugene, Oregon.
