Sha'Carri Richardson is calling out the hypocrisy of both the Olympics and anti-doping officials after Russian skater Kamila Valieva was permitted to compete despite testing positive for a banned substance, NPR reports.
Richardson took to Twitter to share her thoughts on the matter after mediators ruled that Valieva should be allowed to skate in the women's individual competition in Beijing.
"Can we get a solid answer on the difference between their situation and mines?” she asked. “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.
"It's all in the skin," she added.
Richardson noted the difference in her tweets responding to the ruling on Valieva's eligibility at the Winter Olympics versus her own for last year.
Richardson also argued the difference in the way positive tests were handled. Although Valieva failed a test that she submitted back in December, she avoided being suspended.
Valieva's positive test was kept under wraps until after she helped her team win a gold medal in Beijing. Richardson argued that her drug test results were shared with the public immediately.
"My name & talent was slaughtered to the people," she said.
As EBONY previously reported, Richardson won the 100-meter race at the U.S. Olympic trials early last summer but she tested positive for marijuana, THC. Because of the results of the positive test, her time at the trials was voided and she was disqualified from participating in the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
THC, as well as trimetazidine, the drug that was found in Valieva's test sample, are both on the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of prohibited substances. The heart drug is said to be able to boost athletic performance while THC does not.
Although Valieva is allowed to compete if she wins, a medal ceremony won't take place until a doping investigation is completed according to the International Olympic Committee.
