Sha’Carri Richardson breaks her silence after being left out of Tokyo Olympics

Sha’Carri Richardson speaks. Hours after it was reported that she had been left off of the U.S. Track & Field team after failing her drug test, she used her Twitter account to break her silence.

In the tweet that she wrote on Tuesday (July 6) afternoon, she wrote: “The attention that is on track now and was because of very very few names. So if that’s where fans support lay, you can’t be mad at that.”

Earlier today, news broke that Richardson would not compete in the Tokyo Olympics after failing to be selected for the 4×100 relay team. Her month-long suspension prevented her from being given a spot on the 100-meter race team, as well. So, many were hoping for the rising star athlete to at least be given a chance to run in the 4×100 competition. However, the dream is now being delayed for another four years.

The USA Track & Field released a statement confirming this announcement. “While USATF fully agrees that the merit of the World Anti-Doping Agency rules related to THC should be reevaluated, it would be detrimental to the integrity of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track & Field if USATF amended its policies following competition, only weeks before the Olympic Games,” a portion of its message read.

It continued: “All USATF athletes are equally aware of and must adhere to the current anti-doping code, and our credibility as the National Governing Body would be lost if rules were only enforced under certain circumstances. So, while our heartfelt understanding lies with Sha’Carri, we must also maintain fairness for all of the athletes who attempted to realize their dreams by securing a place on the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team.”

Since this news broke, a number of public figures have continued to show support for the star athlete. We’re sure that we’ll see her at the Olympics in four years — and with a vengeance.