An artist rendition of Sha’Carri Richardson, who was barred from competing in the Tokyo Olympics after failing a drug test. Art by Gaby Gagnon ‘24.
By Gigi Picard ’22
Sports Editor
The calls to cancel the Tokyo Olympic Games once more have been pushed aside. The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is only five days away*. However, there have been some twists and turns regarding who will compete in Tokyo.
Sha’Carri Richardson excluded from U.S. Olympic Team
For example, the public was stunned when 21-year-old United States women’s track star Sha’Carri Richardson was disqualified from competing in the games. The New York Times reported “gold-medal favorite” Richardson tested positive for marijuana, a banned substance, and was given a one month suspension, prohibiting her from running in the 100-meter sprint. There was a chance she would run in the 4x100 meter relay for Team USA, but the decision was made not to include her on the American team. Her suspension length was determined based on the drug not being used for performance enhancement, but as a way of coping with the recent death of her biological mother. In response to the suspension, which ends July 27, she tweeted, “I am human.”
Richardson received overwhelming support across social media from celebrities, politicians, fellow athletes and her sponsor Nike. The statement from Nike read, “We appreciate [Richardson’s] honesty and accountability and will continue to support her through this time.”
United States Women’s National Soccer Team star Megan Rapinoe tweeted, “This is trash. Standing with [Richardson]. This has BEEN outdated.”
Retired basketball star Dwayne Wade tweeted, “But majority of y’all rule makers smoke and probably are investors in THC companies. Let’s stop playing these games.”
One of the major reasons Richardson has received so much support is the opinion that marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug. The New York Times reported that, while the World Anti-Doping Agency lists marijuana as a prohibited substance, “there’s no scientific evidence that it can make people bigger, stronger or faster athletes.” In fact, “if anything, cannabis — the scientific name for the hemp plant, from which marijuana is derived — has a reputation for decreasing athletic performance.”
To further support Richardson, Wade’s spouse Gabrielle Union tweeted a similar sentiment, saying, “Weed is great for many a thing but running faster isn’t one of them. LET HER RUN!!!”
Actor and comedian Seth Rogen, well known for his marijuana use, tweeted, “The notion that weed is a problematic ‘drug’ is rooted in racism. It’s insane that Team USA would disqualify one of this country’s most talented athletes over thinking that’s rooted in hatred. It’s something they should be ashamed of.” Rogen referenced the late United States track sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner in his tweet, adding, “Also if weed made you fast, I’d be FloJo.”
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted: “The criminalization and banning of cannabis is an instrument of racist and colonial policy. The [International Olympic Committee] should reconsider its suspension of Ms. Richardson and any athletes penalized for cannabis use. This ruling along w/ IOC denial of swim caps for natural hair is deeply troubling.”
Ocasio-Cortez co-wrote a letter in collaboration with Representative Jamie Raskin to the United States Anti-Doping Agency advocating that they overturn Richardson’s suspension. A summation of the agency’s public response stated they must follow the banned substance list provided by the World Anti-Doping Agency, including marijuana. According to the statement, Richardson’s one month ban was the minimum, and there was no chance of reversal, since she accepted her suspension. A longer suspension could have been given to Richardson if the USADA tried to reverse it, because the WADA, the International Olympic Committee or World Athletics would have appealed, and the governments of nations are uninterested in removing marijuana from the Prohibited List due to public health reasons. The agency felt it worth noting the United States government pushed the hardest for marijuana to be added to the banned substance list in 2004.
Ocasio-Cortez responded further afterwards, tweeting, “We worked with [Raskin] and the Subcommittee on Civil Rights & Civil Liberties to formally ask [USADA] to end Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension. Their decision lacks any scientific basis. It’s rooted solely in the systemic racism that’s long driven anti-marijuana laws.”
In an interview with Today’s Savannah Guthrie, Richardson said, “I would like to say to my friends, my family, my sponsorship, to the haters too: I apologize. As much as I’m disappointed, I know that when I step on the track I don’t represent myself, I represent a community that has shown me great support, great love.”
Laurel Hubbard makes history as first transgender Olympic athlete
At the same time, another high-profile Olympics story was circulating in the media — that of New Zealand’s Laurel Hubbard. She will be the fourth oldest weightlifter and first transgender athlete to compete at the Olympics. Hubbard began her transition in 2012 at age 35 and did not participate in international weightlifting until after she had transitioned, though she had previously competed domestically. Now, she is seen as a medal contender in the 87 kg-plus weightlifting category. The Guardian reported that, in 2015, the International Olympic Committee adjusted their regulations, allowing for Hubbard to be included. Transgender women are now able to compete without having an orchiectomy if their testosterone level in serum is below 10 nanomoles per litre for at least 12 months.
However, Hubbard’s competitors have expressed displeasure about her competing, as they believe she has an unfair advantage in sports. The Guardian quoted Belgian super-heavyweight weightlifter Anna Van Bellinghen as saying, “Anyone that has trained weightlifting at a high level knows this to be true in their bones: This particular situation is unfair to the sport and to the athletes.” Van Bellinghen claimed she supports the transgender community.
The BBC reported that this isn’t the first controversy involving Hubbard, as Australia's weightlifting federation attempted to bar her from the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. Hubbard pulled out anyway due to an injury. There was another stir when she won gold at the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa, defeating a Samoan athlete.
Nevertheless, Hubbard is still supported by New Zealand Olympic Committee chief executive Kereyn Smith. “We acknowledge that gender identity in sport is a highly sensitive and complex issue requiring a balance between human rights and fairness on the field of play,” Smith said.
According to the Guardian, Hubbard said, “I am grateful and humbled by the kindness and support that has been given to me by so many New Zealanders. When I broke my arm at the Commonwealth Games three years ago, I was advised that my sporting career had likely reached its end. But your support, your encouragement, and your ‘aroha’ [affection] carried me through the darkness.”
*Editor’s Note: At the time of this story’s publication, the Olympic Games are set to begin in two days on July 23, 2021.