‘I am now free to do what I love’: Swimmer Shayna Jack says she’s ‘overwhelmed with joy’ after being cleared to compete again following doping ‘nightmare’
Shayna Jack revealed she’s finally allowed to swim again after a years-long battle to clear her name in the wake of a doping scandal.
In a post on Instagram on Thursday, the 22-year-old swimmer said she was ‘overwhelmed with joy’ after her case was dismissed.
‘After a 2 year and 3 month battle, I have finally received my final decision that my appeal case has been dismissed by the Court of Arbitration,’ she began.
Back in the pool: Shayna Jack revealed she’s finally allowed to swim again after a years-long battle to clear her name in the wake of a doping scandal
‘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.’
Shayna went on to thank ‘everyone who has stood by me, supported me and help [sic] me overcome this challenge’.
She added: ‘I will speak more in the future, now is not the time… But watch this space, it’s only the beginning.’
Following her passion: In a post on Instagram on Thursday, the 22-year-old swimmer said she was ‘overwhelmed with joy’ after her case was dismissed
According to a report by AAP on Thursday, an appeal seeking to increase Shayna’s doping ban was dismissed.
Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) chief executive David Sharpe confirmed that Shayna’s case had officially been 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,’ he said.
‘After a 2 year and 3 month battle, I have finally received my final decision that my appeal case has been dismissed by the Court of Arbitration,’ she began
The sports star was banned from swimming for four years after testing positive to a banned substance before the 2019 FINA World Championships in South Korea.
Her ban was halved when she appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in December, before they dismissed the case entirely.
Shayna had always maintained her innocence and spoke about the crushing ordeal on last year’s season of SAS Australia.
Devastating: Shayna had always maintained her innocence and spoke about the crushing ordeal on last year’s season of SAS Australia (pictured)
‘My whole life, I’ve been an honest athlete. Like, the purpose of my swimming was that I could impact somebody else’s life and be a role model to them, because that’s how I fell in love with the sport,’ she said.
After being asked how she’d feel if she was never allowed to swim competitively again, Shayna broke down in tears and admitted the thought was too painful to even entertain.
‘That’s probably the hardest question anyone could ever ask me, because I’ve never thought about anything else but swimming,’ she added.
‘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,’ she said