American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson seemed less than pleased with the news that Russian Olympic Committee figure skater Kamila Valieva has been cleared to continue competing in the Olympics.
Despite testing positive for a banned substance, Valieva saw her provisional suspension officially lifted Monday when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in her favor, sparking plenty of controversy in the world of Olympic sports.
Richardson was quick to point out the similarities—and hint at the differences—between her case and Valieva’s. The 21-year-old sprinter won the women’s 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials but was suspended for one month by the United States Anti-Doping Agency after testing positive for marijuana in July.
The suspension effectively ruled Richardson out of the Tokyo Olympics last year, where she was a top contender to become the United States’ first gold medalist in the 100 meters since 1996.
“Can we get a solid answer on the difference of her situation and mines?” Richardson tweeted on Monday. “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.”
After news of the suspension broke, Richardson said her biological mother died right before the Olympic trials, which sent her into “a state of emotional panic.”
“To have to go out into the world and put on a face—who am I to tell you how to cope?” Richardson told NBC’s TODAY in July.
Valieva, meanwhile, had already won an Olympic gold medal in team figure skating before news of her positive drug test emerged. The CAS ruled Monday that since she is a minor, Valieva was a “protected person” subject to more protections under the World Anti-Doping Code.
The 15-year-old skater is now set to compete in the women’s individual event Tuesday, where she will be considered a favorite to win another gold.
