Dallas native & star American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson has first-hand experience with drug-testing disputes at the Olympic level.
And she weighed in Monday with a series of tweets about the ongoing doping controversy in women’s figure skating at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Russian gold-medal favorite Kamila Valieva, 15, tested positive for a banned substance Dec. 25, but the results did not become public until after she skated in the Olympic team competition last week.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Monday that Valieva could continue in the individual competition this week. However there will be a full investigation, led but the Russian anti-doping agency, after the Games. The World Anti-Doping Agency will have the right to appeal any ruling by RUSADA.
The focus of any future investigation will be on Valieva’s coaches, doctors, nutritionists, etc., as athletes under 16 typically aren’t held responsible for taking banned substances.
The decision contrasts the suspension 21-year-old Richardson, a 2018 Carter graduate, faced after testing positive for THC, an ingredient in marijuana, at the U.S track & field Olympic trials in June.
Richardson said afterward she ingested marijuana before the competition as a way to cope with the “emotional panic” of learning about the death of her biological mother.
The drug test result negated Richardson’s flashy, first-place finish at the trials & disqualified her, by USA Track & Field procedures, from competing in the Tokyo Olympics.
“Can we get a solid answer on the difference of her situation & mines?” Richardson posted to Twitter on Monday. “My mother died & I can’t run & was also favored to place top 3. The only difference I see is I’m a black young lady.”
“It’s all in the skin,” Richardson tweeted two hours later.
The World Anti-Doping Agency prohibits the use of marijuana close to competition, but experts say the substance has little performance-enhancing value.
Trimetazidine, for which Valieva tested positive, is intended to increase blood flow to the heart for patients that have chest pain. It is not approved for sale in the U.S.
Some experts say the drug can increase stamina and endurance potentially benefiting training & recovery.
“[By the way,] THC definitely is not a performance enhance!!!” Richardson tweeted.
Richardson continued: “Failed in December & the world just now know however my resulted was posted within a week & my name & talent was slaughtered to the people.
“Not one BLACK athlete has been about to compete with a case going on, I don’t care what they say!!!”
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Source: Dallas Morning News
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