Sha’Carri Richardson: What her suspension says about mental health in sports?

Sha’Carri Richardson lately ignited dialogue about psychological well being amongst high-performance athletes, experiences Yahoo Sports. The 21-year-old American sprinter and fan-favorite spoke out Friday about her latest constructive drug take a look at and use of marijuana to deal with the surprising lack of her organic mom.

• The incident has sparked backlash on social media in opposition to U.S., world and Olympic sports activities committees who think about marijuana a performance-enhancing drug and prohibit its use throughout competitors, The New York Times reported.
• “I’m human,” the 21-year-old monitor star stated on Twitter Thursday earlier than the official announcement.

What’s the controversy over Sha’Carri Richardson?

On Friday, per Yahoo Sports activities, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency introduced that Richardson had examined constructive for THC, “the first psychoactive compound of hashish” and marijuana following the U.S. Olympic monitor and discipline trials.

• The constructive take a look at end result erased Richardson’s qualification time for the ladies’s 100-meter dash — her signature occasion — and disqualified her from working within the Tokyo Olympics, reported the Deseret News.
• Richardson is now dealing with a one-month suspension from competitors, the Deseret News reported.

Richardson confirmed that she ingested marijuana within the days earlier than the Olympic trials competitors, in keeping with Yahoo Sports. The world-class sprinter stated she used the drug as a means to deal with the surprising lack of her organic mom.

• “I apologize,” Richardson stated to her household, followers and sponsors on Friday, per ESPN. “I apologize for the truth that I didn’t know the right way to management my feelings or take care of my feelings throughout that point.”
• “We respect Sha’Carri’s honesty and accountability and can proceed to help her via this time.” Nike, which has sponsored Richardson since 2019, stated in an announcement, in keeping with ESPN writer Aaron Dodson.

What’s the debate over marijuana and performance-enhancing medicine?

Richardson’s suspension has sparked on-line debates about whether or not marijuana ought to be thought of a performance-enhancing drug, reported The Associated Press.

• The Olympic trials had been held in Eugene, Oregon, the place marijuana is at the moment authorized, Yahoo Sports reported.
• The World Anti-Doping Company considers hashish a “substance of abuse.” In accordance with Yahoo Sports, “all cannabis-based merchandise aside from cannabidiol, or CBD, are on (the World Anti-Doping Company’s) 2021 prohibited checklist and banned ‘in-competition.’”
• The U.S. Anti-Doping Company, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the USA Monitor and Discipline all adhere to this code, experiences Yahoo Sports.

Richardson is the third monitor athlete this 12 months to simply accept a suspension associated to marijuana use, in keeping with the AP. The latest development has led some to push for altering the restrictions. Particularly for Richardson, the talk about marijuana use has been linked to latest occasions that adversely affected her psychological well being, The New York Times reported.

What has Sha’Carri stated about her psychological well being and marijuana use?

Days earlier than the Olympic trials, Richardson’s organic mom unexpectedly handed away, reported the Deseret News. When she spoke in regards to the lack of her mom instantly after the trials, Richardson shared few particulars. However, she has since opened up extra in regards to the loss.

Richardson first discovered about her mom’s passing in an interview with a reporter, “a whole stranger.” Listening to the information, “it despatched me right into a state of emotional panic,” Richardson stated, per The New York Times.

• Information of the loss was “triggering” for Richardson and “positively nerve-shocking,” she stated through The New York Times.
• Richardson stated she used marijuana whereas “coping with my psychological well being,” per Yahoo Sports. “I do know what I did. I do know what I’m purported to do, (what) I’m allowed to not do and I nonetheless made that call…Don’t choose me as a result of I’m human,” per a FloTrack tweet.
• “I do know that I can’t disguise myself, so no less than, in some sort of means, I’d simply attempt to disguise my ache,” she stated per the AP.

“All of us have our completely different struggles, all of us have our various things we take care of, however to placed on a face and should exit in entrance of the world and placed on a face and conceal my ache,” Richardson stated, ESPN reported.

• “Who’re you? Who am I to let you know the right way to cope while you’re coping with a ache otherwise you’re coping with a battle that you just’ve by no means skilled earlier than or that you just by no means thought you’d should take care of,” she stated through ESPN. “Who am I to let you know the right way to cope? Who am I to let you know you’re incorrect for hurting?”

Will they ‘Let her run’?

At the least seven petitions have begun circulating on Twitter, all calling for Richardson to be reinstated on the Olympic staff and allowed to compete within the Tokyo Olympics. One petition to “Reinstate Sha’Carri Richardson” has nearly 15,000 signatures. One other petition to “Let Sha’Carri Run!” is nearing 100,000 signatures.

Richardson’s suspension ends earlier than the relay races on the Tokyo Olympics. If named to Workforce USA, she may nonetheless compete as a part of the relay staff, experiences Deseret News. This stays unsure.