Sha’Carri Richardson made headlines last year when she was disqualified from the Olympics for testing positive for using marijuana but now she is calling out the Olympics for racial discrimination when a white figure skater was allowed to compete after testing positive for drug use.
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva took a drug test back in December and tested positive for a performance-enhancing heart medication. Valieva was told, like Richardson, that she would not be able to compete, train, or participate in any events during the Beijing Winter Olympics. However, since Olympic Committee officials were not notified of her test results or her suspension she was allowed to compete in the Olympic figure skating competition.
Since the circumstances between Valieva and Richardson were similar it prompted the track star to express her frustration on the matter and called out the Olympic committee, “Can we get a solid answer on the difference of her situation and mine? My mother died and I can’t run and was also favored to place top 3. The only difference I see is I’m a black young lady,” she said.
Can we get a solid answer on the difference of her situation and mines? My mother died and I can’t run and was also favored to place top 3. The only difference I see is I’m a black young lady. https://t.co/JtUfmp3F8L
— Sha’Carri Richardson (@itsshacarri) February 14, 2022
The athlete also pointed out the significant difference between her and Valieva’s situation, noting that the drug she used (marijuana) is not a performance-enhancing drug, “Btw THC definitely is not a performance enhance!!!!”
Btw THC definitely is not a performance enhance!!!!
— Sha’Carri Richardson (@itsshacarri) February 14, 2022
Take a look at how Twitter has chimed in on the situation:
