Sha’Carri Richardson slams the ‘perfect people’ commenting on Olympic ban for weed saying ‘I’m glad I’m not one of them’
SHA’CARRI Richardson has hit back at the “perfect people” who have been commenting on her Olympic ban for smoking weed.
Richardson, 21, is currently the fastest woman in the US but was handed a one-month ban by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after she tested positive for THC, a chemical found in marijuana.
The ban means she will miss out on competing in the 100m sprint at the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo, although she could still be part of the relay team at the Games as the ban will have expired by the time it is run.
Richardson took to her Twitter page to clap back at all the commentators who had criticized her actions.
She wrote: "The support (heart emojis) my community I thank y’all, the negative forget y’all and enjoy the games because we all know it won’t be the same."
"I’m sorry, I can’t be y’all Olympic Champ this year but I promise I’ll be your World Champ next year.”
She added: "All these perfect people that know how to live life, I'm glad I'm not one of them!"
President Joe Biden appeared to support the IOC decision when he was asked for his thoughts during a July 4 weekend visit to Michigan.
Joe Biden told reporters: “Rules are rules.”
"The rules are the rules and everybody knows of the rules going in," Biden said.
"Whether they should remain the rules is a different issue, but the rules are the rules. ... But I was really proud of the way she responded.”
Richardson, America’s fastest woman, previously said in a tweet, “I am human” and said during an interview on the Today show last Friday that she was “triggered” by the death of her mom.
"I was definitely triggered and blinded by emotions, blinded by badness, and hurting, and hiding hurt," she said.
"I know I can’t hide myself, so in some type of way, I was trying to hide my pain."
In an "emotional panic," she said she took marijuana which resulted in her failed drugs test.
“I apologize for the fact that I didn't know how to control my emotions or deal with my emotions during that time.
“Who am I to tell you how to cope? Who am I to tell you you're wrong for hurting?”
She added: "I just say don't judge me because I am human.
"I'm you, I just happen to run a little faster."
After the June trials in Oregon, Richardson revealed that her mother had died the previous week.
She told ESPN at the time: "My family has kept me grounded.
"This year has been crazy for me. Going from just last week, losing my biological mother, and I'm still here.
"Last week, finding out my biological mother passed away and still choosing to pursue my dreams, still coming out here, still here to make the family that I do still have on this earth proud.
"I'm highly grateful for them. Without them, there would be no me. Without my grandmother, there would be no Sha'Carri Richardson. My family is my everything, my everything until the day I'm done."
Democrat Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blasted the decision to ban Richardson, calling it “racist and colonial."
"The criminalization and banning of cannabis is an instrument of racist and colonial policy," Ocasio-Cortez said on Friday. "The IOC [International Olympic Committee] should reconsider its suspension of Ms. Richardson and any athletes penalized for cannabis use."
Richardson ran 100 meters in 10.86 seconds in Oregon last month.
The run, however, has been provisionally scrubbed from the record books.
Her best of 10.72 seconds is the second-fastest in the world this year behind Beijing and London gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
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Richardson, who had been described as the “best American hope” in the track and field events, is estimated to have a net worth of around $100,000, according to Exact Net Worth and Biography Daily
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But Spotsjone and Celebsagewiki claim that the track and field star's net worth to be anywhere between $1million and $5million.
The average salary of a sprinter in the US is between $45,000 and $50,000 annually, plus, Richardson has signed a deal with Nike.