Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty
Sha’Carri Richardsonis not done.
After being suspended from Team USA over a positive marijuana test earlier this summer, Richardsoncompeted against all three women’s 100m Tokyo Olympic medalists— Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Shericka Jackson — at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic in Oregon on Saturday.
She came in 9th with a time of 11.14, but Richardson held her head high afterward. “Coming out today, 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 that I was dealing with,” she told reporters.
“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, because I’m here to stay. I’m not done. I’m the 6th fastest woman in this game ever, and can’t nobody ever take that from me,” Richardson shared. “Congratulations to the winners, congratulations to the people that won, but they’re not done seeing me yet. Period.”
RELATED VIDEO: Sha’Carri Richardson Says ‘I Am Human’ Amid Suspension from Olympic Team for Positive Marijuana Test
Richardson’s moment comes after she captivated the hearts of many Americans with a time of 10.86 in June, winning the women’s 100m race at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on the very same track in Eugene, Oregon. However, she lost her spot on Team USA after she tested positive for THC, a chemical in marijuana, following the trials.
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Whennews of her positive testbroke, Richardson expressed that she wasn’t looking for “any empathy” and understood what she had done during an interview withToday.“I know what I did. I know what I’m supposed to do and what I’m allowed not to do, and I still made that decision. But I’m not making an excuse or looking for any empathy in my face,” she said.
Ahead of Saturday’s race, Richardson’s agent Renaldo Nehemiah shared that the athlete was in good spirits. “Sha’Carri isfocused on running a good racesince she last competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials,” Nehemiah toldThe Wall Street Journal. He added: “She will be focused on executing her race to the best of her ability regardless of who is in the race.”
source: people.com
