Why Sha'Carri Richardson didn't compete in the Tokyo Olympics, explained: A look back at her suspension

Sha'Carri Richardson isn't just back. She's better.

Sha’Carri Richardson is the fastest woman in the world. She established that fact with her dazzling performance at the 2024 Olympic qualifiers ahead of the Paris Games.

She smoked the competition in the women’s 100-metre race to establish herself as the favorite once everything shifts to Paris.

READ MORE: Five facts about Sha’Carri Richardson, the fastest woman in the world

Richardson is so good that it’s hard to imagine the biggest races in the world without her these days. But that was the reality just a few years ago when she was noticeably absent from the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Richardson didn’t get to race in Tokyo, but it didn’t have much to do with ability. Let’s take a look back at why.

Why wasn’t Sha’Carri Richardson in the Tokyo Olympics?

(Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

Sha’Carri Richardson did qualify for the 2021 Tokyo Games after Olympic trials, but she wasn’t allowed to run.

Richardson was shockingly suspended for one month by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency after testing positive for marijuana. Her monthlong suspension prevented her from competing in the race at the Tokyo Games, where she would’ve easily contended for a medal.

She could’ve still competed in the 4×100-meter relay in the 2021 games, but was completely left off the roster.

Wow. That sounds like a terrible time

It was rough. Very rough. For all the fans out there, people were fired up to watch her race in Tokyo. But this didn’t impact anyone more than Richardson, herself, who was clearly devastated after missing out on the opportunity.

Richardson tweeted this after the news broke.

I am human

— Sha’Carri Richardson (@itsshacarri) July 1, 2021

It was hard not to feel bad for her. Richardson had just lost her biological mother and was going through a lot in life at that moment. For her to miss out on competing at the highest level was surely devastating.

Is Sha’Carri Richardson OK now?

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

It sure does seem like it. Richardson’s new mantra is “I’m not back. I’m better.” She explained the quote in Vogue magazine.

“I don’t just mean I’m a better runner,” Richardson tells me when I ask about her credo. “It’s beyond that. I’m better at being Sha’Carri. I’m better at being myself.”

That’s definitely been reflected in the way that she runs. She seems ready to seize her opportunity in Paris this year.

I can’t wait to watch it.