Over Half A Million Sign Petition To Reinstate Sha’Carri Richardson As Olympic Removal Continues To

Topline

A petition calling for star sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson to be reinstated on Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics next month has gained over 560,000 signatures in less than a week, as her removal from the competition over marijuana use continues to fuel heated debate over whether the rules adhered to by the U.S. are outdated. 

EUGENE, OREGON – JUNE 19: Sha’Carri Richardson celebrates winning the Women’s 100 Meter final on day … [+] 2 of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on June 19, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

The petition launched by progressive lobbying group MoveOn Civic Action is addressed to the non-government organizations responsible for Richardson’s doping penalty: the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). 

The USADA hit Richardson with a 30-day suspension and invalidated her qualifying performance in the 100m dash at the Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, last month, after she tested positive for THC (the active component of marijuana).

The petition urges the agency to lift the penalty, which was imposed because the USADA and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee are signatories to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s code, which includes marajuana in its long list of prohibited substances. 

In addition to urging the USADA to retract its punishment of Richardson, the petition urges WADA, the agency responsible for the rules, to update what it deems “an outdated and arbitrarily enforced rule.” 

After reaching 10 signatures five days ago, the petition has ballooned in popularity, counting around 100,000 new signees over the past few days. 

However, it has not yet prompted any signal from either the USADA or WADA that they are open to shifting course on Richardson’s punishment. 

Chief Critic 

“In no world is marijuana a performance-enhancing drug for runners, and in more places in the United States and around the world, marijuana use is legal,” the petition reads. “The United States Anti-Doping Agency should drop their penalty and allow Richardson to compete.” 

Key Background 

Richardson, an eccentric personality with signature colorful hair and long nails, was widely considered a favorite to win a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In the Olympic trials from which she was later disqualified, the sprinter won the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.86, confirming her status as America’s fastest woman. She later told NBC News that she had used cannabis in a “state of emotional panic” after she learned from a journalist in an interview that her birth mother had died a week before the trials began. After receiving the suspension from the USADA, Richardson was also excluded from the 4x100m relay team by USA Track and Field, a decision that came despite her suspension being set to end before the start of the relays on Aug. 5. The complete removal of the star sprinter from the Olympics has drawn sharp backlash from major public figures, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) who wrote to leaders of the U.S. and world anti-doping agencies urging them to overturn their decisions. USA Track and Field said in a statement after the announcement of Richardson’s suspension that while it stands by the penalty in these circumstances, it believes WADA’s rules should be evaluated. 

Crucial Quote 

“While USATF fully agrees that the merit of the World Anti-Doping Agency rules related to THC should be reevaluated, it would be detrimental to the integrity of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track & Field if USATF amended its policies following competition, only weeks before the Olympic Games,” USATF said. 

Contra 

While many are urging for Richardson to be reinstated, others, including the Biden administration, have sided with the suspension. President Biden over the weekend responded to the controversy by saying, “Rules are rules” and that Richardson was aware of the penalty she could face. Meanwhile, three-time Olympic gold medalist Dominique Dawes on Wednesday told CNN on Wednesday athletes should be following the rules. 

Further Reading 

“Biden Reacts To Sha’Carri Richardson Suspension: ‘The Rules Are The Rules’” (Forbes) 

“Sha’Carri Richardson Tests Positive For Marijuana, Set To Miss Olympics 100m Event” (Forbes) 

“Japan Declares Covid Emergency In Tokyo, Olympics Unlikely To Have Fans In Attendance” (Forbes) 

“Sha’Carri Richardson’s dashed Olympic hopes ignite debate over whether cannabis should be banned substance” (ABC News)

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