Prefontaine Classic: US track and field star Sha'Carri Richardson returns after drug-ban

Sha’Carri Richardson feels her drug ban after getting tested positive for cannabis at the trials for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 has shifted the attention of a lot of people to the track and field athletics events.

She is all set to compete with Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah (2021 and 2016 Olympic champion at 100 and 200 metres), USA’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (2008 and 2012 Olympic 100m gold medalist), Sherica Jackson (100m Tokyo Olympic Bronze medalist) from Jamaica and Texan Sha’Carri Richardson (the U.S. Olympic 100m Trials winner), in a high-proximity race during the Prefontaine Classic 100 metres at the Hayward Field, United States. The 21-year-old athlete returns to the track after being out of favour due to her suspension.

“I don’t want to be the next Florence Joyner, I want to be the first Sha’Carri” - Sha'Carri Richardson

In a press conference on the eve of the event, Richardson said,

"I'm gad for the positives I’ve brought to the sport, the attention I was able to bring to the sport, whether it was negative or positive, for the simple fact that people are now watching a lot of track and field athletes. We wish we had more attention. We wish people paid more attention.”

She dismissed the comparisons drawn between her and 1988 Olympic 100 and 200-metre champion, Florence Griffith-Joyner by saying, “I don’t want to be the next FloJo, I want to be the first Sha’Carri”.

Richardson tested positive for Carboxy-THC as a sample collected in the trials for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and was suspended for a period of 30 days. The suspension handed to her kept her out of contention for the Olympics. However, she was left out of the USA team for the Olympics 4x100m race despite her suspension ending before the event. Her suspension sparked off a global debate as to why marijuana still remains a banned drug.

Born in 2000 in Dallas, Texas, Richardson captured all eyes in 2019 as a freshman at Louisiana State University after her recording-breaking performance that saw her clock 10.75s in the 100m at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships.

With this feat, she became one of the ten fastest women in history, at the age of just 19. She went on to become the sixth fastest woman of all time and the fourth-fastest American woman in history after setting a personal best of 10.72s in 100m in April 2021.

(Image Source: carririchardson_ - Instagram)