IOC Responds to Sha'Carri Richardson After Criticism of Kamila Valieva Ruling

The International Olympic Committee has responded to accusations by American sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson insinuating double standards in the handling of Russian Olympic Committee figure skater Kamila Valieva's failed drug test.

"You can't talk about double standards in relation to Russian and American athletes, each case is individual," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said, per The Independent's Jack Rathborn (via Yahoo Sports).

Valieva, a 15-year-old phenom who helped lead the ROC to a gold medal in the women's free skate team event, was cleared to continue competing despite testing positive for a prohibited medication called trimetazidine.

The IOC stated that if Valieva earns a spot on the podium in any women's individual competition, a medal ceremony won't be held "in the interest of fairness to all athletes."

Richardson, who was expected to contend for a medal in the women's 100 meters at the Tokyo Olympics, was forced to miss the Games last summer after she was banned for testing positive for marijuana.

Richardson took to Twitter on Monday and voiced her displeasure with the IOC's decision on Valieva:

Adams suggested that the differences between the two cases came down to timing. Valieva's failed drug test occurred at the Russian national competition on Dec. 25, but the results weren't made public until last week.

"Richardson's positive doping test was discovered on 19 June, and the result was received before the start of the Olympics," Adams said. "She was suspended for a month. There is nothing in common between these two cases. This Games, which has not concluded, concerns an issue in December."

Adams went on to express sympathy for Valieva's situation, saying the IOC is trying to accommodate her in any way it can.

"She is in the center of a lot of speculation. It must be very tough for her," he said. "We of course are in touch with the team, her welfare is the team's first priority, and obviously we are very careful of that but there's only so much that we can do."