Nightmare Is Finally Over For Australia’s Shayna Jack After CAS Decision Frees Her To Return To The Pool

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OVERWHELMING JOY: Shayna Jack (left) will be celebrating like she did back in 2018 after receiving the green light to return to the pool. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

Nightmare Is Finally Over For Australia’s Shayna Jack After CAS Decision Frees Her To Return To The Pool

The nightmare is finally over for banned Australian swimmer Shayna Jack with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) tonight giving the Commonwealth Games gold medallist the green light to return to the sport she loves.

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WELCOME BACK: Shayna Jack (left) all smiles after winning relay gold at the Commonwealth Games. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr/Swimming Australia Ltd.

“After a two- year and three-month battle, I have finally received my final decision that my appeal case has been dismissed by the Court of Arbitration,” Jack declared on her Instagram account.

“I am now free to do what I love with no restrictions and am so overwhelmed with joy – “I am now going to take some time to myself to cherish this moment and reflect on what I have endured. The nightmare is finally over.”

“Thanks to everyone who has stood by me, supported me and helped me overcome this challenge.

“I will speak more in the future, now is not the time…. But watch this space, it’s only the beginning.”

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed the appeal lodged by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and Sport Integrity Australia (SIA).

WADA and SIA last December appealed the leniency of the two-year suspension given to the Australian Commonwealth Games gold medallist after she tested positive to Ligandrol.

Jack had been originally provisionally been suspended for four years.

A Statement issued by Sport Integrity Australia acknowledged the decision made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to maintain the 2-year sanction imposed on Shayna Jack.

“Sport Integrity Australia’s decision to appeal the original ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport was based on the need for clarity in the application of key anti-doping legal principles,” the statement said.

“Sport Integrity Australia is taking time to review the full decision in detail prior to making any assessment on the application of those principles going forward.

Sport Integrity Australia CEO David Sharpe said the matter is now closed.

“This matter wasn’t about pursuing an individual athlete, it was very much about providing clarity and consistency to athletes and sports in the application of the World Anti-Doping Code.”

ABC Australia reported: “In the original CAS hearing the arbitrator found “Jack did not intentionally ingest” the banned substance and that she was a credible witness.

Her suspension expired in July.

“But CAS reduced the suspension to two years in December last year,” the ABC report noted..

“Jack had vehemently denied intentionally ingesting anything that could contain Ligandro.

“I knew I didn’t take any drugs and I knew I’d never been in a situation to even come close to taking drugs,” Jack told Australian Story earlier this year.

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Shayna Jack makes a statement and answers questions from the media – Photo Courtesy: Hanson Media

“There’s no way I took a tablet that I didn’t know or a protein that I hadn’t checked.”

Jack, who turns 23 in December, was a rising star of Australian swimming prior to her suspension and destined for the Tokyo Olympics where the Australian girls continued their domination of the 4x1200m freestyle relay – winning a third straight gold.

She had previously helped the team win gold and set a world record in the same relay at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and went on to spearhead the Dolphins to further gold at that year’s Pan Pacs in Tokyo.

Jack won four relay medals as part of Australian squads at the 2017 world titles in Budapest.

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Bowen
Bowen
2 years ago

So, no disclaimer that Ian Hanson worked public relations directly for the accused Ms. Jack? Even the photo here is captioned “Hanson Media.” This is how Swimming World is rolling these days? Zero ethicality, and disinformation.

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