American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension from the U.S. Olympic Team has knocked her out of this month’s Summer Games in Tokyo, but she has not lost the support of Nike.
The 21-year-old won the women’s 100-meter race at last month’s U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, outpacing her competitors with a time of 10.86 seconds. None of that mattered now after she reportedly failed a drug test by testing positive for THC, the chemical found in marijuana.
Nike released an official statement on Richardson’s positive test, announcing that she will remain a part of the company.
“We appreciate Sha’Carri’s honesty and accountability and will continue to support her through this time,” Nike said.
Richardson is being accountable for her actions and has already accepted her one-month suspension. During an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show Friday, Richardson owned up to what she had done.
”I’m not encouraging anyone to do it. I’m not saying don’t do it or anything like that. But if you choose to do things in your personal time or things like that, you just should know [what] the consequences are. Or just find different ways to just cope or do what it is that will make you feel better,” she said. “Just don’t judge me because I am human…I just happen to run a little faster.
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“I want to take responsibility for my actions. I know what I did, I know what I’m supposed to do…and I still made that decision.”
Richardson was handed a one-month suspension from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
Richardson said on-air that unlike most, she has plenty of Games left in her to compete in and “every single time I step on the track I’ll be ready for whatever Anti-Doping Agency to come and get whatever it is they need. This will never happen again.”
