Sha’Carri Richardson sprinted her way into our hearts last week. This week, the International Olympic Committee suspended her after she failed a drug test. She was found to have marijuana in her system, but Nike has vowed to support her.
On Thursday, the news went public that Richardson had failed the drug test that all Olympic qualifiers must undergo. While there were performance-enhancing drugs found, marijuana is still a considered a banned substance.
Nike released a statement on Friday expressing their intent to continue to support the 21-year-old Richardson due to her honesty.
“We appreciate Sha’Carri’s honesty and accountability and will continue to support her through this time,” the company said according to a tweet by ESPN reporter Aaron Dodson.
Official statement from @Nike on Sha’Carri Richardson:
“We appreciate Sha’Carri’s honesty and accountability and will continue to support her through this time.”
Richardson has been a Nike athlete since 2019, and remains so after positive marijuana test and one-month suspension pic.twitter.com/Jt8ZGGVQfD
— Aaron Dodson (@aardodson) July 2, 2021
Sha’Carri Richardson appeared on the Today Show on Thursday and apologized for the positive test while remaining hopeful about her future.
“I apologize,” Richardson said. “As much as I’m disappointed, I know that when I step on the track, I represent not only myself, I represent a community that has shown great support, great love.”
Richardson admitted that her marijuana use was a coping mechanism that she turned to in the wake of her mother’s death just a week before the Olympic trials. To add insult to injury, Richardson learned about her mother’s death from a reporter.
Richardson has more than Nike in her corner. United States Representatives Jaime Raskin and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote a letter asking the United States Anti-Doping Agency to reconsider the policies that have led to this unfortunate situation.
Richarson has accepted a 30-day suspension from the IOC, which may allow her to still participate in the 4×100 team relay.
Thankfully, the world has not heard the last of Sha’Carri Richardson. We are confident that she will bounce back from this youthful mistake.
