Sha’Carri Richardson will not be heading to Tokyo.
However, on Tuesday, USATF released a statement regarding Richardson and their decision not to include her on the roster for Tokyo.
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A rep for Richardson did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The top three athletes in the trials event head to the Olympics. And for the relay team, USATF officials are able to pick at least two athletes regardless of their performance at the trials.
Richardson’s suspension would have ended prior to the relay so she could’ve still competed for Team USA had track officials named her on the team.
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On July 1, which was the same day news of her drug test became public, she tweeted, “I am human.”
And the next morning, on July 2, Richardsonspoke about her suspensionon theTodayshow, telling co-hostSavannah Guthrie: “I know what I did. I know what I’m supposed to do and what I’m allowed not to do, and I still made that decision. But I’m not making an excuse or looking for any empathy in my case.”
The sprinter admitted to using marijuana to cope with the death of her biological mother, who died the week before the track trials.
“People don’t understand what it’s like to have to — alright, people do. We all have our different struggles. We all have our different things we deal with,” said Richardson, adding of her experience, “But to put on a face, to have to go in front of the world and put on a face and hide my pain, I don’t know … Who am I to tell you how to cope when you’re dealing with pain? Or you’re dealing with a struggle that you’ve never experienced before? Or that you never thought you’d have to deal with?”
To learn more about all the Olympic hopefuls, visitTeamUSA.org. The Tokyo Olympics begin July 23rd on NBC.
source: people.com
