#LetShacarriRun: A Case Study Examining the Dissemination of Crisis Information During an Athlete Reputational Crisis

Following an outstanding 2020 Olympic trials performance, the United States Anti-Doping Agency suspended likely medal favorite Sha’Carri Richardson for marijuana use, placing her in an athlete reputational crisis that would, in many ways, shape her career. Grounded in situational crisis communication theory and the social-mediated crisis communication model, this manuscript utilizes three studies to examine Richardson’s attempt at reputation repair and outline how crisis information was disseminated. Using a mix of natural language processing and qualitative review, we employ a thematic analysis, a social network analysis, and a textual analysis to reveal insight into (a) Richardson’s effort to engage in reputation repair, (b) the voices and social media accounts that influenced the flow of information, and (c) the amplification of certain reputation repair strategies. Together, Richardson’s case highlights how crises can, at times, be co-opted into larger policy discussions. Finally, this case underscores how a crisis can sway how the media discusses an athlete years later.