WeeklySA_AdminVICTIMISED:Family claim sprinter was dropped from Olympics after smoking weed ‘because she’s a black woman
SHA’CARRI Richardson’s family believe the top sprinter was dropped from the US Olympics team for smoking weed because she’s an African-American woman.
The fastest woman in America was dramatically left out of the 4×100 relay team that will be representing the US at the Tokyo Games after testing positive for marijuana.
She was disqualified last month from participating in individual Olympic events after testing positive for THC, the chemical found in marijuana. Fans had hoped America’s fastest woman would be picked for the relay as it is set to take place after her suspension ends.
But a roster released by USA Track and Field last week did not include the 21-year-old track athlete. Sha’Carri claims that she only smoked weed to cope with the pain of finding out that her biological mother had died.
Leaping to her defence, her cousin Chasity Lanell said it was “just a little marijuana” – but also admitted that the positive drug test had come as a surprise to the family. Chasity, 30, a nail technician from Dallas, Texas, told The Sun: “I really feel that it’s unfair. “Sha’Carri really does inspire a lot of people and everybody makes mistakes.
“She is going through a very hard time because of the loss of her mother. “It’s unfair to take something from someone who started from the bottom and made their way up to the top, from nothing. “People are judging her from the outside but they don’t really know what she’s going through on the inside.
“I know she will come out of this very strong, she is a very strong young woman and has a lot of supporters. “Everyone makes mistakes, no one out here perfect. “As Sha’Carri stated, she is human.
She’s a young person who is pursuing her dreams. “We don’t have that many young black women out there getting their dreams. “She’s doing the best that she can and I’m going to continue supporting her whatever she does. “As long as she’s going out there and doing her best and making everyone proud, I’m with her 100 percent.
“The positive test was something that we were surprised about but no one knows what we all do behind closed doors. “I believe it was just a stressful moment at the time and it was just like sipping some wine.
“I don’t fault her for that at all.” ha’Carri has received the support of numerous figures in sports, politics and show business since her ban was announced.
Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez branded the move as “racist and colonial”. She tweeted: “The IOC should reconsider its suspension of Ms. Richardson and any athletes penalized for cannabis use.”
Superstar Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also defended Shar’Carri this week, telling ESPN’s First Take program: “She put in the work.
“Even though she made a mistake, like we all make mistakes … to not let her be at the Olympics at all is pretty ridiculous to me.”
The track and field star also received support from celebrities such as Cardi B, Drake, Snoop Dogg and Gabrielle Union.
However, President Joe Biden appeared to defend the ban when asked about it. He said: “The rules are the rules, and everybody knows what the rules were going in.
“Whether they should remain the rules is a different issue, but the rules are the rules.” Sha’Carri herself said this week that she is “accepting” of the ban and focused on the future. – The Sun
