American sprinter Richardson tested positive for cannabis could miss Olympics – sources

KINGSTON, July 1 (Reuters) – US sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson has tested positive for cannabis, sources tell Reuters, and is unlikely to have the chance to fight for the Olympic 100-meter title in Tokyo later this month.

According to a source familiar with the matter, the positive test came during the US Olympic trials last month where Richardson established herself as a gold medal contender by winning the 100m in 10.86 seconds.

A positive test in practice would mean all of Richardson’s results in the competition would be nullified, nullifying his victory in the 100m final.

Another source familiar with the matter said Jenna Prandini, who finished fourth in the final, had previously been approached to run for the United States in the 100m in Tokyo.

Both sources requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Calls and emails to Richardson’s agent Renaldo Nehemiah, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and USA Track and Field (USATF) went unanswered Thursday.

In a cryptic tweet earlier today, Richardson wrote: “I am human”.

The 21-year-old will appear on NBC’s Today Show on Friday, the network confirmed to Reuters.

Richardson was scheduled to run the 200m at the Stockholm Diamond League meeting in Sweden this weekend, but she was not on the entry list for the race on the competition’s official website on Thursday.

Cannabis is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), but if athletes can prove that their ingestion of the substance was unrelated to athletic performance, a three-month suspension instead of the usual four years is imposed.

If an athlete is prepared to undertake an approved treatment program in conjunction with their national anti-doping organization, the suspension may be reduced to one month.

The Texan was aiming to become the first American to win the Olympic 100m title since Gail Devers in 1996 after registering 10.72 seconds in April – one of her five runs under 11 seconds this season.

A 30-day ban backdated at the time of the unfavorable result could leave Richardson cleared to run in the 4x100m relay at the Aug. 6 Olympics, if selected by the USATF.

Richardson could also appeal any sanction to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), just like any other sports body that felt that a sanction was too lenient.

Reporting by Kayon Raynor in Kingston; Additional reporting by Rory Carroll and Amy Tennery, editing by Peter Rutherford

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