A Texas lawmaker has thrown out her support for Dallas native Sha’Carri Richardson who was a contender to win the 100-meter sprint at the Tokyo Olympics this month, but was disqualified after a positive drug test at the June Olympic Trials.
State Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas) said she backed Richardson who had been dealing with an extreme amount of stress.
“I’m team Sha’Carri, period. She happens to have more stress on her at 21, than many of you that are older than her,” Crockett wrote in a July 2 tweet. “Let’s use this as an opportunity to address the fact that we need to change marijuana laws in this country, anyway, and remove the stigma surrounding it.”
Even though marijuana use is legal in Oregon, it violated the United States Anti-Doping Agency Rules. Richardson admitted to using the substance in Oregon after her biological mother died in the days leading up to the Olympic Trials.
“That sent me in a state of mind, in a state of emotional panic, if anything,” Richardson said, according to CBS Sports. “During all that, I still, even though I’m here, I still have to go out and put on a performance for my dream.”
USA Track and Field (USATF) called the ordeal “incredibly unfortunate and devastating.”
“Athlete health and well-being continue to be one of USATF’s most critical priorities and we will work with Sha’Carri to ensure she has ample resources to overcome any mental health challenges now and in the future,” the organization said in a July 2 statement to CBS Sports.
According to CBS Sports, Richardson will serve a month-long suspension that dates back to June 28.
An alumna of both Dallas Carter High School and LSU, the 21-year-old Richardson initially punched her ticket for Tokyo in the women’s 100 meter in Eugene, Oregon last month, NBC DFW reported.
NBC DFW reported she finished the race with a time of 10.87.