Sha'Carri Richardson says she's "glad" she's not one of the "perfect people" after her suspension from the 100m race at the Olympics.
On June 28, the 21-year-old athlete - widely dubbed "America's fastest woman" - was handed a one-month suspension after testing positive for THC - a chemical found in marijuana. This essentially means she is barred from competing in the women's 100m race in the Tokyo Olympics.
Much has been said about the decision, which has garnered both critics and those in support of it.
Over the weekend, Richardson herself reflected on the ban as she tweeted to her half a million followers: "All these perfect people that know how to live life, I’m glad I’m not one of them!"
She also made sure to thank her many supporters, writing: "The support my community I thank y’all , the negative forget y’all and enjoy the games because we all know it won’t be the same."
The Olympic hopeful concluded: "I’m sorry, I can’t be y’all Olympic Champ this year but I promise I’ll be your World Champ next year."
Ahead of her TODAY interview on her suspension, she reminded her fans in a tweet: "I am human".
In the interview, Richardson explained that she had taken marijuana after learning from a reporter that her biological mom had suddenly passed away. She told the outlet that the tragic news had been "nerve-shocking" for her.
She added: "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 case.
"To put on a face, to have to go in front of the world and put on a face and hide my pain, I don't know ... Who am I to tell you how to cope when you're dealing with pain? Or you're dealing with a struggle that you've never experienced before? Or that you never thought you'd have to deal with?"
While Richardson is barred from the 100m race, she could still compete in the 4x100m relay as the suspension will have expired by then.
Recreational marijuana is legal in Eugene, Oregon, where she is believed to have used the drug, but there are strict anti-doping policies in place at the worldwide sporting event - which includes cannabis on its list of prohibited substances.
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