Sha'Carri Richardson Was Given Shorter Ban than Shelby Houlihan
The Claim
Shelby Houlihan got better treatment than Sha'Carri Richardson.
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Emerging story
Some on social media are claiming that two American Olympic hopefuls were treated differently in the consequences they received after breaking the rules for Olympic eligibility.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar discovered that Olympic runners Shelby Houlihan and Sha’Carri Richardson both tested positive for banned substances in their bodies. According to nytimes.com, Houlihan tested positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone back in December, 2020. Last month, Richardson tested positive for marijuana at the Olympic trials.
Houlihan claims she tested positive for steroids due to a pork burrito she ate the night before the drug test. Richardson admitted she smoked marijuana after hearing about the death of her mother.
As a result of the disallowed substances found in the runners’ bodies, Houlihan was handed down a four year ban starting January 2021. Richardson was given a 30-day suspension which will end July 27, 2021.
However, as many have pointed out, the steroid nandrolone is known to be performance-enhancing, while (as even the Anti-Doping Agency contends), marijuana slows down reaction time. Because of this discrepancy in the type of banned substance the athletes tested positive for, we rate this claim as misleading.
