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Sha'Carri Richardson Calls Out Olympics For Double Standard with Kamila Valieva Ruling
"The only difference I see is I’m a black young lady." Sha'Carri Richardson calls out the Olympics for allowing Kamila Valieva, who failed a drug test, to compete in the Winter Olympics.
US track star Sha'Carri Richardson, who was suspended from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, is speaking out. She has noticed similarities between her and Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva. According to CBS News, Valieva failed a drug test ahead of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, but she was still able to compete. In 2020, Richardson got the boot for smoking weed, although it isn't a performance-enhancing drug.
On Monday, Richardson went to Twitter to speak up about discrepancies in the Olympics' decision.
"Can we get a solid answer on the difference of her situation and mines? My mother died and I can’t run and was also favored to place top 3. The only difference I see is I’m a black young lady," Richardson wrote, later following up with a slew of tweets aimed towards the Olympics.
\u201cCan we get a solid answer on the difference of her situation and mines? My mother died and I can\u2019t run and was also favored to place top 3. The only difference I see is I\u2019m a black young lady.\u201d— Sha\u2019Carri Richardson (@Sha\u2019Carri Richardson) 1644843808
\u201cIt\u2019s all in the skin\u201d— Sha\u2019Carri Richardson (@Sha\u2019Carri Richardson) 1644851983
\u201cFailed in December and the world just now know however my resulted was posted within a week and my name & talent was slaughtered to the people.\u201d— Sha\u2019Carri Richardson (@Sha\u2019Carri Richardson) 1644852422
In December, Valieva tested positive for banned heart medication, Trimetazidine. While not approved in the US, the substance is used to treat heart-related conditions, increasing blood flow to the heart. After Valieva was tested, the 15-year-old was subject to a hearing, where the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on Monday that she does not need to be suspended ahead of an investigation into the test.
The court also explained that the decision favored Vaileva because she is a minor and was subject to different rules than an adult athlete. While she can continue figure-skating, if Vaileva places top three, the International Olympic Committee has stated there won't be a medal ceremony.
In 2020, Richardson was suspended for one month, with coaches not adding her to the Olympic roster to "maintain fairness" for other athletes who hadn't used banned substances. Richardson was also subject to public scrutiny, telling NBC News that she used marijuana in Oregon — where the substance is legal — to cope with her mother's death.
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