‘Won’t be the same.’ Sha’Carri Richardson takes responsibility, promises big return

HOUSTON – After a whirlwind of highs and lows over the last few weeks, Sha’Carri Richardson is still that girl.

The fastest woman in America took responsibility for failing a drug test, which disqualified her from the 100-meter race in the Toyko Olympics. Then, she told the world to prepare for her return next year at the World Championship.

“I’m sorry, I can’t be y’all Olympic Champ this year but I promise I’ll be your World Champ next year,” Richardson wrote on Twitter.

The 21-year-old Dallas native also thanked her supporters and those who came to her defense.

“The support my community I thank y’all, the negative forget y’all and enjoy the games because we all know it won’t be the same,” she wrote.

On Friday, the World Anti-Doping Agency announced Richardson tested positive for THC, the chemical found in marijuana. She later completed a counseling program and accepted a one-month suspension from Team USA, which started on June 28. While she cannot compete in her signature 100-meter race in Tokyo, she may still enter in the 4x100m relay.

The news of Richardson’s failed drug test spread quickly on social media. The reaction was swift, sharp and polarized.

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On NBC’s Today show, Richardson said she knew the rules, but said the loss of her biological mother was a “very heavy topic.”

“(I’m) not making an excuse or looking for any empathy in my case, but, however, being in that position in my life, finding out something like that, something that I would say is probably one of the biggest things that have impacted me ... that definitely was a very heavy topic on me,” she said.

“People don’t understand what it’s like to have to … go in front of the world and put on a face and hide my pain. Who am I to tell you how to cope when you’re dealing with the pain or you’re dealing with a struggle that you haven’t experienced before or that you thought you never would have to deal with?”

All in all, Richardson appears to be taking this as a self-reflection moment.

“All these perfect people that know how to live life, I’m glad I’m not one of them,” she wrote on Twitter.