Sha’Carri Richardson says racist double standard allows Valieva to compete
US track star Sha’Carri Richardson has called out what she believes is a racist double standard after Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was allowed to skate in the Olympics with a failed drug test.
“It’s all in the skin,” Richardson, who was disqualified from competing last summer at the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for marijuana, wrote on Twitter.
Richardson, 21, said the “only difference I see is that I’m a black young lady.”
Valieva, 15, was cleared to compete Monday after testing positive for the heart drug trimetazidine.
“Can we get a solid answer on the difference of her situation and mines [sic]? My mother died and I can’t run and was also favored to place top 3,” Richardson wrote on Twitter.
The all-star runner was slapped with a 30-day suspension in July for marijuana use, which she said she turned while mourning the recent death of her mother.
Meanwhile, Valieva led her team to the gold medal last week a day before news of a positive test result broke, and will now be allowed to skate in the upcoming women’s individual competition. IOC has said different rules apply to minors, making Valieva a “protected person.”
Richardson also slammed officials’ announcements of each of their positive results.
“Failed in December and the world just now know,” Richardson said, referring to Valieva’s now six-week-old drug test that came back positive for the heart drug.
“However my resulted [sic] was posted within a week and my name & talent was slaughtered to the people,” she continued.
“Btw THC definitely is not a performance enhance!!!!” she added, referencing her marijuana use.
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