Sha’Carri Richardson has had some time off from competition after being disqualified from the Tokyo Olympics over a positive THC test. As is the case with all athletes, the time off can either lead to being well-rested and ready to compete or it can lead to rust.
For Richardson on Saturday, it was the latter.
America’s fastest woman returned to the track at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon and disappointed in a big way.
Richardson finished last in the field in the 100 meters with a time of 11.14 seconds, well behind the winner from Jamaica, Elaine Thompson-Herah. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson finished second and third to complete the Jamaican sweep. It was a repeat of the 100-meter race at the Tokyo Olympics for Jamaican women.
The Olympic champ does it again! 🥇@FastElaine snags the win with a 10.54 in the 100m!#PreClassic x #DiamondLeague
📺 NBC
🖥 https://t.co/fCGsZxrtwT
📱 NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/kWc2BidPXM— #TokyoParalympics (@NBCOlympics) August 21, 2021
“This is really special. Super special. I knew I could have run this from like 2016, but I think I celebrated early too much and I knew one day it would come, hopefully,” Thompson-Herah said.
Richardson also withdrew from the 200-meters on Saturday.
In early July, Richardson was suspended from the Olympic team after testing positive for THC. The United States Anti-Doping Agency announced that Richardson tested positive in a sample collected at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on June 19, 2021, and Richardson had accepted a one-month suspension that began on June 28, 2021.
It was devastating news for Richardson and the women’s track team, as Richardson was the United States’ best chance at the team’s first gold medal in the 100-meters since 1996. To her credit, Richardson took full responsibility for her actions.
“Honestly, I just want to apologize for my actions,” Richardson told the TODAY Show after the positive test. “I know what I did. I know what I’m supposed to do, I’m allowed not to do, and I still made that decision. Not making any excuse, or looking for any empathy in my case.”
After more than a month off from the track, and seemingly solely focused on Saturday’s race, many expected Richardson to compete with the Jamaicans on Saturday. She never gave herself a chance, coming out slow from the blocks and finishing dead last.
After the race, Richardson gave a defiant interview, saying that she’s the “sixth fastest woman in this game. Ever.”
“It was a great return back to the sport. I wanted to be able to come and perform. Having a month off, dealing with all I was dealing with. I’m not upset at myself at all. This is one race, I’m not done. You know what I’m capable of. Count me out if you want to, talk all the s*** you want.”
“Congratulations to the winners, congratulations to the people that won, but they’re not done seeing me yet. Period.”
“This is one race… count me out if you want to … Talk all the sh*t you want to! You know what I can do!"
– Sha’Carri Richardson
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) August 21, 2021
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].
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Source: Dailywire
