American track and field star Sha’Carri Richardson is RIGHTFULLY calling out what appears to be a major double standard at this year’s Winter Olympics. And we’re here for her take!
As Perezcious readers will recall, Richardson is the wildly talented American track and field star who was banned from last year’s Tokyo Olympics after a test came back confirming she’d used marijuana prior to the event. Richardson was forthright with copping to the positive test at the time, explaining that she’d used the substance to help with the death of her beloved mother. However, despite it not even being a performance enhancing drug, she was still kicked out.
Related: Leslie Jones Blasts NBC In Contentious Post About Winter Olympics Coverage!
Now, Richardson is back in the headlines after a 15-year-old Russian Olympic Committee figure skater, Kamila Valieva, has been allowed to compete at this year’s Olympics in Beijing despite testing positive for a banned substance in the midst of competition. It would seem to be a cut-and-dry case — an athlete fails a test for a banned substance during the Games! — but the Court of Arbitration for Sports saw it another way. They argued that Valieva’s age was reason to lift the ban and allow her to keep competing at the event in Beijing.
WTF?!
For those who don’t know, Kamila is a figure skating prodigy who’s been taking the world by storm the past few months.
It’s a genuine shame to learn that like so many Russian athletes before her (that’s why athletes compete for the Russian Olympic Committee and not Russia — the country itself is banned), she was using banned substances. Doubly so because she’s so young, and whoever convinced her to do this may have ruined her life.
But the rules are there for a reason. And her excuse was allegedly a glass of water containing trace amounts of her grandfather’s medication.
Valieva’s case quickly drew outrage from around the world. People all over the figure skating community bristled at the decision to allow the teen to continue to skate even after failing a doping test. American figure skater Adam Rippon was one of several athletes to speak out about the situation, tweeting (below):
“If they are truly worried about the irreparable harm, set her up with proper counseling to deal with the incredibly sad situation she finds herself in and SEND HER HOME. The irreparable harm that will be done is to the entire Olympic Games. She shouldn’t be allowed to compete.”
Well said!
But the real story here is Richardson.
Speaking out on Twitter on Monday, the world-class sprinter wrote (below):
“Can we get a solid answer on the difference of her situation and mines? My mother died and I can’t run and was also favored to place top 3. The only difference I see is I’m a black young lady.”
It’s a valid question!
Here is her full tweet (below), in which she responds to a video showing CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb speaking to the press about the Court’s earlier decision to allow Valieva to continue competing in Beijing:
Can we get a solid answer on the difference of her situation and mines? My mother died and I can’t run and was also favored to place top 3. The only difference I see is I’m a black young lady. https://t.co/JtUfmp3F8L
— Sha’Carri Richardson (@itskerrii) February 14, 2022
Sha’Carri also called out the Olympics on Instagram, posting this pair of messages in two IG Stories slides she shared to her account on Monday:
“It’s all in the skin … Losing my mother wasn’t enough for me to run, I wonder why they let her.”
We wonder, too! She added:
Btw THC definitely is not a performance enhance!!!!
Failed in December and the world just now know however my resulted was posted within a week and my name & talent was slaughtered to the people.
Not one BLACK athlete has been about to compete with a case going on, I don’t care what they say!!!
As far as Valieva is concerned, she has already won a gold medal as part of the Russian Olympic Committee team, taking home that medal last Monday. Still competing after the positive test, she now finds herself a favorite to win an individual gold medal in the Women’s Singles ice skating competition that will take place on Tuesday in Beijing.
Reactions, Perezcious readers???
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