Sun Yang swim coach weighs in on Shayna Jack doping scandal

Sun Yang’s swimming coach Denis Cotterell says Australian sprinter Shayna Jack’s positive doping test is devastating for her, but refused to comment on his own controversial swimmer.

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Sun Yang’s swimming coach Denis Cotterell says Australian sprinter Shayna Jack’s positive doping test is devastating for her.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph after landing in Sydney this morning on his way back from the world championships in Seoul, Cotterell said too many people were giving their opinion on doping without knowing the facts.

Swimming coach Denis Cotterell says Australian sprinter Shayna Jack’s positive doping test is devastating for her.

“The shame about most of this is people giving new opinions every day about the facts that they have no idea about,” he said.

This week Swimming Australia was rocked by the announcement Jack had tested positive to muscle-building drug Ligandrol.

The positive test comes in the midst of a storm between fellow Australian swimmer Mack Horton and Chinese star Yang, who has been caught doping before.

Shayna Jack tested positive to muscle-building drug Ligandrol. Picture: Getty

Horton refused to join Sun on the podium after the 400m freestyle final, in protest at FINA’s decision to allow the controversial Chinese freestyler to compete at the championships.

Cotterell wouldn’t comment further on his swimmer Yang but said he felt for Jack.

“It is devastating for her,” he said.

“Accidents happen, there is human error on all sides of things and there needs to be some considerations made for that.

“It is not as simplistic as everyone would like to think it would be.”

Coach Denis Cotterell refused to comment on his swimmer Sun Yang.

He did not comment on Swimming Australia’s decision not to announce the positive result straight away.

“I don’t know about procedures so it wouldn’t be right for me to comment about that,” he said.

Jack will submit a food and supplements diary to anti-doping officials when she and her legal team meet with on Friday.

Swimming coach Denis Cotterell arrived at Sydney Airport today.

The 20-year-old will travel to Canberra as she steps up the fight to clear her name less than a year out from the Tokyo Olympics.

One of the best freestyle sprinters in Australia, Jack made international headlines last week when news leaked she had withdrawn from the world swimming championships in Korea after testing positive to the banned substance Ligandrol.

Originally published as Sun Yang swim coach weighs in on Shayna Jack doping scandal