American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson recently tested positive for marijuana and received a one-month suspension from The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
Her suspension began on June 28, which means she'll still be able to compete in some track and field events at the Tokyo Olympics but not the 100-meter dash, which she specializes in.
Richardson blew away her competition at the Olympic trials last month and was expected to do the same in Tokyo.
But after news surfaced that she tested positive, many came down on her, while the NBA's Iman Shumpert came to her defense. Richardson admitted during an interview on Today that she smoked after hearing that her biological mother passed away.
“She knew the Olympics was coming up, and risked history over a f*cking blunt. From here to zero that quick,” someone wrote.
“She ain’t no zero, far from it” Shumpert replied. “She hit the weed thinkin bout her mama. If anything that shud make her beatable. It wasn’t performance enhancing though she broke a rule. If whoever wins is a true competitor they are going to be pissed that she wasn’t there. Cuz she da juice.”
Is Shumpert right?