Adverse drug test a devastating blow to young swimmer’s career

Shayna Jack was never likely to have remained anonymous for long.

Shayna Jack, left, with Bronte Campbell, Emma McKeon and Cate Campbell at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Picture: AAP

Shayna Jack was never likely to have remained anonymous for long but had her swimming career progressed smoothly, she was not likely to have burst into the consciousness of the Australian public until the Campbell sisters, Cate and Bronte, retired from the sport.

That was until she returned an adverse drug test that has become absolutely life-­changing, in the worst possible way.

Now 20, she made her debut for Australia at the 2017 world championships in Budapest, winning two relay silvers, but shifted her profile upwards when she joined with the Campbell sisters and Emma McKeon to win golds in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and Tokyo Pan Pacs last year.

Her life was thrown into turmoil late last year when it was announced her then coach, Simon Cusack, would be moving from Brisbane to Knox-Pymble, taking the Campbell sisters with him.

It was not a move that she particularly wanted to make and ultimately she decided to “test-drive” two other prominent coaches.

After spending time with both Michael Bohl and Dean Boxall, she decided to join Boxall’s program, joining forces with Ariarne Titmus and Mitch Larkin. It was a bold move, because Boxall is one of the hardest taskmasters in the sport. She finished fourth in the world championship selection trials to earn a place in the relay team.

Jack was in Cairns training with the Australian team when the fateful drug-test was conducted and in Japan when she was told by head coach Jacco Verhaeren that they could expect a phone call from ASADA. That was when she learned that her A sample has come back positive.

That was when another process was called into play to send her home immediately to Australia. She left without saying goodbye to her team-mates.

A statement was put out that she has left for “personal reasons”, and rumours started circulating that perhaps a family member had passed away or that she was pregnant or suffering from mental health issues.

The liveliest suspicion was that she had failed a drug test. Verhaeren was asked about it but refused to comment.

Jack had promised not to make any comment until the world championship team had finished with its competition but when the story broke, she reluctantly confirmed it.

Now she will travel to Canberra on Friday where she will be given precise details of what drug was involved and what quantities. Life has suddenly become a lot more serious for a kid who always only wanted to swim fast.