The 100-meter world champion was stopped by police at Seattle airport on July 27. Here’s what happened. Although she did not run in the US trials in Tokyo, she will be able to compete.

American sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson has withdrawn from the national championships in Eugene, Oregon, after being arrested at Seattle airport on Sunday 27 July. The 100m world champion was detained by police at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and released the following day without charges being specified.

The charge is fourth-degree domestic violence. The police report states that an airport officer was informed by a Transportation Security Administration supervisor of an altercation between Richardson and her boyfriend, sprinter Christian Coleman. The officer reportedly reviewed camera footage and observed Richardson extend her left arm, grab Coleman’s backpack, and yank it away from him. Richardson then appeared to obstruct Coleman, who was trying to get around her. Coleman was pushed against a wall. The report then stated that the sprinter appeared to have thrown an object at Coleman, possibly a pair of headphones. In the police report, the officer stated, “Coleman did not file a complaint.”

Richardson withdraws—  Richardson took part in the trials heats on Friday and announced her withdrawal from the national championships when news of her arrest emerged. The 100-meter world champion had struggled in 2021 when she was barred from competing in the Tokyo Games after testing positive for a marijuana metabolite following that year’s trials, but she appeared calm and in good shape during the championships in Oregon before news of her arrest and release became public, prompting her decision to withdraw from the competition. Sha’Carri’s decision does not compromise her participation in the World Championships scheduled for September in Tokyo: as reigning champion, she has a guaranteed place in the world championships. Richardson is currently still on the list of participants in the 200m trials, but at this point it is unlikely that the sprinter will participate.