US sprinter to miss Olympics over cannabis test

American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson could miss the chance to challenge for the Olympic 100 metres title in Tokyo after she tested positive for cannabis. Sources have revealed that she tested positive during the U.S. Olympic trials last month where the Richardson proved she is a gold medal contender after she won 100m in 10.86 seconds.

A positive test for cannabis means that all of Richardson’s results from the meet would be wiped out on top of missing a chance to compete at the Olympics games which are scheduled for later this month.

Jenna Prandini, who finished fourth in the final has already been approached to run for the U.S. in the 100m in Tokyo after calls and e-mails to Richardson’s agent, Renaldo Nehemiah, U.S.A Track and Field (USATF) and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) aproved futile on Thursday.

The 21-year-old sprinter was set to run in the 200m at the Stockholm Diamond League in Sweden this weekend but her name was found missing in the entry list in the race’s official website on Thursday.

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned cannabis but if an athlete can prove that their ingestion of the drug was not related to sports performance then they can be banned for three months and not the usual four years.

And implicated the athletes who agree to undertake an approved treatment programme in collaboration with their national anti-doping agency can have their bans reduced to one month.

Richardson was looking forward to be the first American woman to win the Olympic 100m title after Gail Devers who posted 10.72 seconds in 1996.

But a month long ban backdated to the time when she tested positive would leave the Texan clear to race in the 4x100m relay at the Olympics on Aug. 6, if selected by USATF.

Richardson also has an option to appeal any sanction at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Any sports body that feels her punishment is too lenient can also appeal at the same court.

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