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No relay: Banned sprinter Richardson left off Olympic team

Sha'Carri Richardson
Posted at 3:13 PM, Jul 06, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-06 18:13:30-04

Banned sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson isn't on the Olympic roster released by USA Track and Field.

The decision means the American's positive test for marijuana will cost her a chance at running on the relay team in Tokyo, in addition to her spot in the 100-meter individual race.

Richardson's positive test nullified her win at Olympic trials last month and the spot that went with it in the 100.

Her 30-day suspension was set to end before the start of the relays in Tokyo.

That left open the possibility she could run on the relay team.

But her name was missing from the roster USATF sent out Tuesday.

In a statement, the USATF said they were “incredibly sympathetic toward Sha’Carri Richardson’s extenuating circumstances” and that they fully agree that "international rules regarding marijuana should be reevaluated," the Associated Press reported.

Richardson won the 100 at the Olympic trials on June 19, but a week before the trials, her mother passed, and she said she smoked marijuana to cope.

She tested positive for THC, which is the chemical found in marijuana, at the Olympic trials.

Therefore her win was erased, which means no Olympics for the 21-year-old sprinter, who was expected to challenge gold medals in Tokyo.