The sports world is punishing Black women for being themselves

• Sha'carri Richardson was ruled out of the Olympics for testing positive for marijuana.
• She's the latest in an unfortunate trend of Black women athletes who've had trivial obstacles placed before them.
• The limits placed on these women go against the core value of competition.
• This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.

Millions of people fell in love with Sha'carri Richardson after she took America's Olympic track and field qualifiers by storm and gave an incredibly endearing interview afterwards, emitting a kind of excitement that can only be described as contagious.

In addition to becoming the fastest woman in America, the 21-year-old soon also became an inspiration for Black people, having completed the Olympian effort while making sure to embrace style - donning an orange wig and long acrylic nails.

But on July 2, it was announced that she would be suspended for 30 days due to testing positive for marijuana. The suspension means she almost certainly won't be able to compete in the individual 100-meter race at the Tokyo Olympics, where she had a great chance to win the US a gold medal.

In the viral interview post-qualifier, Sha'carri explodes with joy, screaming "I'm going to Tokyo!" But unfortunately for her, the regulators of the sports world have stifled this triumph. They've been busy attempting to limit the success of Black athletes - especially women.

High stakes

According to the World Anti-Doping Agency, which regulates the Olympics' substance policy, cannabinoids meet at least two of three criteria for prohibited substances: it either "poses a health risk," has the potential to "enhance performance," or it violates the "spirit of sport."

But what better example of the "spirit of sport" is there than Sha'carri's record-breaking run and emotional speech afterwards? Her product - the talent and the aesthetic - not only impressed established track fanatics, but also brought in scores of new fans. For the Olympic Committee to put out the fire she sparked is more of a violation of the "spirit of sport" than cannabis could ever be, especially considering Sha'carri's ownership of her "mistake," and her explanation that the marijuana was a coping mechanism used in the wake of the recent death of her mother.

The policing of cannabis in sports is a perpetuation of the racist policing of the drug in the country in general. Black people are arrested much more often than white people despite usage rates being similar and the cost of prohibition has disproportionately fallen on Black Americans. In sports, the crime and the punishment is equally as arbitrary.

Sha'carri is far from the only Black woman athlete being reprimanded for being herself. Consider Simone Biles, one of the most prolific gymnasts ever.

Biles has been effectively punished for attempting and completing moves that are too difficult for her competition to try. When she completed the physics-bending Yurchenko Double-Pike at the US Classic in May, the judges gave her a relatively low score, essentially discouraging her from doing the move again.

"[The score is] too low and they even know it. But they don't want the field to be too far apart. And that's just something that's on them. That's not on me," she told the New York Times.

Biles should be celebrated, not diminished, for being able to do things her competition can't. The whole point of sport is competition, and Biles is so good that she is now essentially competing against herself. Discouraging athletes from exceeding expectations goes against the core of why sports are interesting in the first place. An athlete's unending mission to outdo not just their opponents but also those who came before them should be championed by the judges, officials, and gatekeepers of sports.

There were a couple of other notable bans for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics that were a detriment to the games' Black female athletes.

The International Swimming Federation banned swim caps that were designed to accommodate natural Black hair, saying that the caps do not "follow the natural form of the head."

The move is problematic for a couple of reasons. For one, chlorine, and water in general, can completely change the texture and style of Black womens' hair. Just as Sha'carri was able to wow audiences with her eccentric style, Black swimmers should not have to choose between their own style and their talent, especially when showcasing both is totally possible.

Secondly, the ban doesn't just affect swimmers at the Olympic level, it also applies to all competitions in general. This could limit the amount of Black girls who approach the sport, deciding it isn't worth degrading the quality of their hair.

If punishing Black women for their looks weren't damning enough, the Olympic Committee has also penalized African women for being...well, women.

18-year-old running phenoms Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi of Namibia have been ruled ineligible for some races due to their naturally occurring but high testosterone levels. According to the rules, womens' testosterone levels must be lower than 5 nanomoles per liter in order to be eligible for certain events, including the 400 meter race.

To be clear, we are talking about young women who have completely natural testosterone levels. At no point did they take testosterone pills to gain an advantage over their opponents. If an athlete isn't doing something illegal to increase their testosterone, then why should they be ruled ineligible for their genetics? Mboma and Masilingi are being punished for who they are.

Black women athletes face undo pressure when it comes to their bodies. It's the reason Serena Williams, who has a muscular physique, has been subjected to more drug tests than her counterparts.

Sha'carri Richardson's suspension ends before the 4x100 relay event in August, but because officials didn't know how long Sha'carri would be sidelined - she got to choose between a longer suspension and a reduced, 30-day suspension with counseling that she opted for - they gave her slot away. The Olympic Committee and World Anti-Doping Association tainted the Olympics by effectively removing one of its best athletes. The move will be seen as counterproductive not just for the committee but also for Sha'carri's would-be opponents. Someone will be crowned the winner of the 100 meter dash knowing that their best competition was sidelined for the most trivial of reasons

Until the Olympics Committee - and the sports world in general - stops putting unnecessary, trivial limits on Black women athletes, sports fans and athletes alike will be robbed of the best possible matchups. That's a disgrace for everyone involved.