Two weeks after she announced she was withdrawing from the World Championships for personal reasons, which ultimately proved to be a failed doping test, Australian freestyler Shayna Jack faced a media throng on Friday morning in Brisbane to emphasize she was prepared to fight to clear her name. Jack was expected to be a key component on Australia’s relays in Gwangju.
The 20-year-old Jack tested positive for the substance Ligandrol and faces a four-year ban from competition. Prior to meeting with the media, Jack spent five hours discussing her case with the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Athority (ASADA). Jack would not speculate on how the banned substance entered her system.
“I’m really happy with how everything’s going and I’m not going to stop until I’ve proved my innocence,” Jack said. “I’ll fight to get myself back in the pool because that’s my dream and I’m never going to let that go.”
With Jack’s positive test known before the start of the World Championships, Swimming Australia has come under fire for not detailing the result prior to the meet, instead allowing the “personal reasons” excuse to linger. In the meantime, Aussie distance star Mack Horton led athlete protests against doping by not standing on the medals podium with China’s Sun Yang following the 400 freestyle. Sun is facing a hearing with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following an incident in which members of his entourage smashed vial of blood with a hammer during an out-of-competition drug test.
Jack, however, did not express disappointment with the way Swimming Australia handled her situation. Instead, she maintained that she has been backed by the organization.
“Swimming Australia has been nothing but supportive towards me and we have been a unit through the whole process, every decision we have made has been together, and we are very happy with every decision we have made,” Jack said.
Due to her positive test, Jack has been banned from participating in the International Swimming League.