Sha'Carri Richardson Questions Olympics After Kamila Valieva Is Allowed to Compete
Sha'Carri Richardson raised questions after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Russian skater Kamila Valieva could resume competing in the 2022 Winter Olympics despite having recently tested positive for a banned substance.
The track and field star asked why Valieva remains eligible to skate while she was unable to represent Team USA at the Summer Olympics in 2021 after her positive test for marijuana:
Sarah Hirshland, the CEO for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, issued a statement saying the organization was "disappointed by the message this decision sends" in regard to the ruling by CAS:
A drug test Valieva performed Dec. 25 was flagged for trimetazidine, a heart medication that can provide a benefit to athletes by helping them maintain a higher heart rate for longer than usual.
Despite the test, the CAS gave the 15-year-old Russian the green light to return to the ice. James Ellingworth and Graham Dunbar of the Associated Press wrote: "The court gave her a favorable decision in part because she is a minor, known in Olympic jargon as a 'protected person,' and is subject to different rules from an adult athlete."
"The panel considered that preventing the athlete to compete at the Olympic Games would cause her irreparable harm in the circumstances," CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb said on the ruling.
The International Olympic Committee announced it won't hold a medal ceremony in the team figure skating event after Valieva helped the Russian Olympic Committee win gold. There won't be a ceremony in the women's individual event either if she places in the top three.
Prior to Richardson's comments on the matter, many compared her situation to that of Valieva:
Richardson qualified to represent Team USA in Tokyo after posting the fastest time (10.86 seconds) in the 100-meter dash at the U.S. Olympic trials. That performance likely would've put her on the 4x100-meter relay team as well.
Instead, the 21-year-old was suspended for 30 days by the United States Anti-Doping Agency after testing positive for THC. The timing of the suspension ruled her out of the 100-meter dash but left the window open for her to run in the relay event. Instead, USA Track and Field omitted her from the four-woman squad.
At the time, Richardson's suspension drew criticism because marijuana isn't widely viewed as a performance-enhancing substance. USA Track and Field said it felt the World Anti-Doping Agency's stance on THC "should be reevaluated."
The CAS ruling on Valieva is bound to generate even more frustration about Richardson's being denied what might have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in 2021.
