Suspended sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson was not named to the USA Track and Field Olympic roster on Tuesday after testing positive for marijuana, and thus, will not compete in the Tokyo Olympics.
"First and foremost, we are incredibly sympathetic toward Sha'Carri Richardson's extenuating circumstances and strongly applaud her accountability - and will offer her our continued support both on and off the track," USATF said in a statement.
"While USATF fully agrees that the merit of the World Anti-Doping Agency rules related to THC should be reevaluated, it would be detrimental to the integrity of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track & Field if USATF amended its policies following competition, only weeks before the Olympic Games," it continued.
USATF said that athletes must follow its current anti-doping code, pointing out that the organization's credibility would be tarnished if "rules were only enforced under certain circumstances."
Richardson accepted a one-month suspension from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency last week after she tested positive for marijuana following her first-place finish in the 100-meter at the U.S. Olympic trials in Oregon, one of 18 states to have decriminalized the substance.
In using THC, a component of marijuana that is considered by the World Anti-Doping Agency to be a "substance of abuse," Richardson violated the organization's anti-drug policy for international competitors.
Other substances to be deemed a "substance of abuse" are cocaine, ecstasy and heroin.
She would have been able to compete in the 4x100-meter relay on Aug. 6 if she was selected by USATF as her suspension expires prior to the event.
Richardson said Friday on NBC's "Today" show that she resorted to marijuana as a coping mechanism following the death of her mother.
The USADA said that her results in the U.S. Olympic trials have been "disqualified, and she forfeits any medals, points, and prizes."
President Joe Biden said Saturday that he felt the suspension was fair, pointing out that "the rules are the rules."
"Everybody knows what the rules were going in," Biden said. "Whether those should remain the rules is a different issue."
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