TORONTO -- An with more than half a million signatures is calling for American sprinter Sha鈥機arri Richardson to be reinstated on the U.S. Olympic track team after she was suspended for failing a drug test.
Last month, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) suspended Richardson for one month after she tested positive for THC, a chemical found in marijuana.
The 21-year-old track sensation was considered a favourite to win a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics after she won the women鈥檚 100-metre race at the U.S. track and field trials in Oregon in June.
And while Richardson apologized for using the drug and accepted her suspension, it appears her supporters have not.
The 鈥淟et Sha鈥機arri Run!鈥� petition was launched by MoveOn Civic Action, a progressive lobbying group, and asks the USADA to drop Richardson鈥檚 suspension and allow her to compete in Tokyo.
鈥淪ha鈥機arri Richardson is one of the fastest athletes in the world鈥攁nd would have a real chance of winning the 100-metre sprint in the Summer Olympics this month. However, due to an outdated and arbitrarily enforced rule around marijuana, she's now going to be kept from competing on the world stage,鈥� the petition states.
The petition creators also urged the U.S. and world anti-doping agencies to revisit the rules around marijuana.
鈥淚n no world is marijuana a performance-enhancing drug for runners, and in more places in the United States and around the world, marijuana use is legal,鈥� the petition said.
As of Friday afternoon, the petition had received more than 569,000 signatures towards its goal of 600,000.
