Sha'Carri Richardson has voiced her opinion on the decision to allow Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva to compete at the Beijing Winter Olympics following her positive doping test.
A urine sample taken from 15-year-old Valieva in December came back positive earlier this month for trimetazidine - a heart medication that is banned at the Olympics.
However, during a hearing over the weekend, the court of arbitration for sport (Cas) decided to allow the teenager to continue competing in the Winter Olympics while the case remains ongoing.
Now, Richardson, widely dubbed America's fastest woman, has a bone to pick with Cas over the verdict.
Last summer, the 21-year-old was banned from the Olympic 100m race after testing positive for THC, a chemical found in marijuana. She says she had taken marijuana after learning that her biological mother had died.
Taking to Twitter, Richardson questioned why their respective doping tests had been given different outcomes and implied to her half a million followers that race was the only factor.
She wrote: "Can we get a solid answer on the difference of her situation and mines [sic]? My mother died and I can't run and was also favored to place top 3. The only difference I see is I'm a black young lady."
Her tweet received a mixed response, with many fans agreeing with her stance on the matter and others drawing attention to the fact that Richardson is a grown-up whereas Valieva is still very much a child.
One fan commented: "Exactly what I said this morning! Plus you tested positive for a drug that is not performance-enhancing and is legal in many states! So frustrating to see this double standard. Just know that many people support you still."
Another argued that Valieva "should not be qualified to compete and her medal should be stripped. She did not earn it fairly, whether she knew she was being doped or not. It's a slap in the face to athletes and committees that did follow the rules."
Disagreeing with Richardson's point about race being the only factor, one Twitter user said: "She's 15. And there's probably more going on behind the scenes to her detriment. Let's not demonize a kid who's being used like a pawn."
Another wrote: "She's a minor and you're an adult who is accountable for her own actions. Simple as that take accountability and ownership for your decisions, it goes a long way in life."
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