"It's all in the skin": US sprinter sees racist undertones in Olympic doping cases

US sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson questioned the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for its decision to allow Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva to continue to compete, despite a positive drug test from December surfacing last week.

After winning the 100-metre race at the US Olympic trials last summer, it was revealed that Richardson had tested positive for marijuana, and was therefore barred from competing in the Tokyo Olympics.

The athlete took to Twitter to call out the unfair treatment and racist undertones between her and Valieva’s cases.

“The only difference I see is I’m a Black young lady,” tweeted Richardson on Monday.

Can we get a solid answer on the difference of her situation and mines? 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. https://t.co/JtUfmp3F8L

— Sha’Carri Richardson (@itskerrii) February 14, 2022

On Wednesday, the IOC dismissed Richardson’s comparison in a response. 

“Every single case is different,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams told Reuters. “[Richardson] tested positive on June 19 [2021], quite a way ahead of the Tokyo Games.”

He went on to say that her results came early enough for the US Anti-Doping Agency to deal with the case in time for the Tokyo Olympics, which was pushed back a year to July 23, 2021, due to the pandemic. Richardson served a mandatory 30-day suspension.

“I would suggest there isn’t a great deal of similarity between the two cases,” Adams added.

THC, the intoxicant found in marijuana, is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances. However, so is the drug that was found in Valieva’s test results, Trimetazidine. The heart medication is believed to be able to boost athletic performance, while THC does not.

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Fans shared their support for Richardson on social media, highlighting the stark double standard in the doping cases.

I’m sorry, but Sha’Carri Richardson was banned from competing in the Olympics because of weed. If the IOC lets Kamila Valieva (and ROC) keep her Gold and compete after using a PED, we got problems. pic.twitter.com/mVSUunAq6V

— ✌🏼Andy Splatz✌🏼 (@AndySplatz) February 10, 2022

I don’t remember anyone considering the “irreparable harm” of suspending Sha’Carri Richardson for smoking pot to cope with her mother’s death. https://t.co/3g2TVXhHSW

— Clayton Collier (@ClaytonJCollier) February 14, 2022

I don’t remember anyone considering the “irreparable harm” of suspending Sha’Carri Richardson for smoking pot to cope with her mother’s death. https://t.co/3g2TVXhHSW

— Clayton Collier (@ClaytonJCollier) February 14, 2022

So many of y’all owe Sha’Carri an apology for how y’all reacted to her situation last summer. https://t.co/QQ3bnIfQ4E

— C$ (@httpcjd_) February 14, 2022

Richardson reiterated in a separate tweet that “it’s all in the skin.”

It’s all in the skin

— Sha’Carri Richardson (@itskerrii) February 14, 2022

Valieva is set to compete in the women’s singles free skate program on Thursday at 5 am. She is currently in first place with a score of 82.16 from her short program skate on Tuesday.