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The International Olympic Committee has responded to statements by Sha’Kari Richardson that there are double standards for drug testing at the Beijing Olympics.
As we reported earlier, 15-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva received permission to participate in the Winter Games after she failed a pre-Olympic drug test.
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On Wednesday, IOC spokesman Mark Adams spoke about Sha’Kari’s claims that these are double standards. “We cannot talk about double standards in relation to Russian and American athletes, each case is individual.
“Richardson’s positive doping test was revealed on June 19, and the result was obtained before the Olympics. She was suspended for a month. There is nothing in common between the two cases.
“These Games, which have not ended, concern the issue in December. She is at the center of many speculations. It will probably be very difficult for her.
“We are certainly in touch with the team, its well-being is the team’s first priority, and obviously we are very attentive to that, but we can only do so much.”
The decision to ban Richardson at the Tokyo Games has become a controversial topic and has brought support for the sprinter from celebrities and other athletes. She was the favorite to win gold in the women’s 100 meters in Tokyo before she was disqualified.