US sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson has received a one-month ban after testing positive for marijuana – and is set to miss the Tokyo Olympics.
The 21-year-old won the 100m at the US Olympic trials in Oregon in June and earlier this year ran the sixth-fastest time in history.
But the Texan’s positive test means her qualification result has been expunged.
“Don’t judge me, because I am human, I just happen to run a little faster,” she told NBC’s Today show.
The athlete’s positive test came at the Olympic trials event, where she finished well clear of the field in 10.86secs
The trials came just a week after the death of her biological mother, and Richardson explained she had used cannabis as a way of coping.
“I apologise for the fact that I didn’t even know how to control my emotions or deal with that during that time,” she told the US broadcaster on Friday.
As Richardson was giving her interview, the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) announced she had accepted the suspension for what it said was “a substance of abuse” rather than for enhancing performance.
“The rules are clear, but this is heartbreaking on many levels,” said Usada chief executive Travis Tygart.