Shayna Jack to return to competitive swimming in Qld after drugs ban

Shayna Jack will make her return to competitive swimming in Queensland this week after winning her fight to halve a four-year drugs ban.

Jack, 23, has entered five events at the Queensland state championships in Brisbane that start on Saturday and will have her first competitive swim since 2019 in a heat of the 100m freestyle next Monday.

“One week till 2021 Qld States begin!” Jack wrote on Instagram.

“Cannot wait to be racing again in my signature white suit.

“Massive thank you to everyone who had supported me to get to this point once again.”

Jack has also entered the 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 1500m freestyle and 50m butterfly.

The Olympic hopeful was initially banned for four years after testing positive to Ligandrol on June 26, 2019, almost three weeks before the world championships in South Korea.

She appealed her ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which reduced her suspension to two years, finding Jack did not knowingly ingest the substance.

But in a bitter blow, Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) appealed that reduction, citing a need for clarity regarding anti-doping legal principles.

That appeal was rejected last September by CAS, allowing Jack to return to the sport.