"Sha’Carri Richardson’s situation is incredibly unfortunate" - USATF issues official statement after US Sprinter's failed dope test

The world was taken aback after it was reported that ace US sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson had tested positive for marijuana. This has put her hopes of taking part in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in jeopardy.

Commenting on the recent revelation, USA Track & Field (USATF), the official governing body for the sport in the US, released an official statement. USATF said:

"Sha’Carri Richardson’s situation is incredibly unfortunate and devastating for everyone involved. Athlete health and well-being continue to be one of USATF’s most critical priorities and we will work with Sha’Carri to ensure she has ample resources to overcome any mental health challenges now and in the future."

Sha’Carri Richardson's fantastic outing at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021 might have been in vain

Sha'Carri displayed her phenomenal capabilities during the recently concluded US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021. She had a blazing run in the women's 100 meters and finished first with a time of 10.86 seconds.

However, after garnering praise from all around the world, Sha’Carri Richardson is now in the limelight for all the wrong reasons.

The 21-year-old tested for marijuana after the US Olympic trials. This means that her results from the meet in Oregon will be wiped out.

Due to the obvious change in circumstances, Sha'Carri Richardson has also been excluded from the Stockholm Diamond League meet. She was scheduled to take part in the 200m run in the meet in Sweden but her name is not reflecting on the entry list on the official website.

The Dallas-born sprinter faces a potential one- to three-month suspension as of now. The World Anti-Doping Agency has to investigate further into the matter to give an exact picture of the whole situation.

Meanwhile, there was also a cryptic tweet from Sha'Carri Richardson on her official Twitter account that read: "I am human."

I am human

— Sha’Carri Richardson (@itskerrii) July 1, 2021

The potential one-month ban extends well into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Women's 100m Round 1 is scheduled for July 30 with the finals set to take place on July 31 itself.

Meanwhile, the 4x100 meter relay Relay Round 1 is scheduled for August 5. It remains to be seen if Sha'Carri Richardson will be eligible for this event.

The big question that remains right now is whether Sha’Carri Richardson can challenge for the 100m Olympic title in Tokyo.