American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson will run the 100 and 200 metres in the Diamond League Prefontaine Classic after completing a one-month ban.
Richardson, 21, was a favourite for the 100m at the Tokyo Olympics but tested positive for cannabis at last month’s US Track & Field trials.
She was prevented from running in the 100m at the Games, and USA Track & Field (USATF) later declined to include her in the relay.
Richardson’s ban ends on July 28.
“I’m looking forward to running fast and putting on a show,” she said.
Richardson’s ban has reignited fierce debate over the use of cannabis in sport, with the White House reportedly seeking a meeting with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) to discuss rules regarding the banned substance.
The sprinter explained she had taken it as a way of coping after learning about the death of her biological mother, and US anti-doping authorities said in her case if had been a “substance of abuse” rather than for enhancing performance.
The Prefontaine Classic runs from August 20-21 at Eugene’s Hayward Field, kicking off the Diamond League’s post-Olympic series of events. (BBC)
