Sha’Carri Richardson Is Left Off the Olympic Relay Team and Will Not Go to Tokyo

The world has been following along with Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension from racing with Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics this summer, and unfortunately, the latest update isn’t a positive one.

Following Richardson testing positive for THC, she has been left off of the US relay list, which means she won’t be competing in the Olympics this year at all.

The news broke on July 6th, sealing the decision that Richardson would be unable to run in the relay along with the 100-meter individual race, according to ESPN. In a statement from USA Track and Field, the organization—which did have two discretionary picks they could have extended to Richardson—said that it is “incredibly sympathetic” toward the athlete.

“While our heartfelt understanding lies with Sha’Carri, we must also maintain fairness for all of the athletes who attempted to realize their dreams by securing a place on the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team,” the statement read.

Though Richardson hasn’t opened up about her own feelings about this latest development, she has taken to Twitter to share that she’s glad that, after all of this, more attention has been brought to the sport.

In an interview with Today that took place shortly after her suspension, Richardson said that while she knew the rules, she’d chosen to use marijuana to help her cope after she found out from a reporter that her mother had died. She told host Savannah Guthrie:

But to put on a face, to have to go in front of the world and put on a face and hide my pain, like, who are you? Who am I to tell you how to cope when you’re dealing with a pain or you’re dealing with a struggle you’ve never experienced before?

Though Richardson’s Olympic dreams are now on hold, there’s no doubt that we will see much more of her, considering her incredible talent.