Sha’Carri Richardson aired out some grievances on Twitter Monday over the International Olympic Committee’s handling of the Kamila Valieva situation.
Valieva, a 15-year-old Russian figure skater, helped Russia win a gold medal in the team figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. However, after helping her team win, Valieva was revealed to have tested positive in December for banned substances.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Valieva should be allowed to compete in the individual events despite her December positive tests. However, Russia will not have a medal ceremony, and there will be no medal ceremonies so long as she is involved in the top three in individual events.
The Court of Arbitration for Sports opted not to immediately suspend Valieva for now in large part because of her age. As a 15-year-old, she is considered a minor and not an adult. Therefore, her coaches, doctors and nutritionists are held more responsible for her positive tests.
None of that mattered to Richardson, who flipped out over Twitter Monday, and insisted the difference in treatment between her and Valieva was due to skin color.
Richardson, of course, qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Games in the 100m but tested positive for marijuana after her run at the Olympic Trials. Her positive test led to a 1-month suspension, which did not end until after the 100m event at the Olympics, causing her to miss the event.
Here are the tweets she sent:
https://twitter.com/itskerrii/status/1493209274457153536
https://twitter.com/itskerrii/status/1493243564754620420
https://twitter.com/itskerrii/status/1493243694266396674
https://twitter.com/itskerrii/status/1493245405655613449
https://twitter.com/itskerrii/status/1493263290327306243
Richardson is insisting that Valieva is being allowed to compete because she is white, while Richardson is black. But there are two clear differences in their cases which explain the different decisions.
One, Richardson’s positive test was disclosed immediately, while Valieva’s December positive tests were not made public until after Russia won the team event. If Richardson wants to point the finger, she should begin by asking whether there was some funny business going on with the timing of the release of Valieva’s positive test.
Two, the big explanation is that Valieva is 15, while Richardson was 20. Richardson is an adult, while Valieva is not. It’s not hard to comprehend that adults are held more responsible for what goes into their bodies than 15-year-olds.
Lastly, although she has been cleared to compete for now, Valieva will not have a medal ceremony. Additionally, it has not yet been decided whether Russia will be able to keep its team medal, nor whether Valieva would be able to keep any medals she wins in the individual events.
Photo: May 9, 2021; Walnut, CA, USA; Sha’Carri Richardson (USA) celebrates after winning women’s 100m heat in 10.74 during the USATF Golden Games at Hilmer Lodge Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
