Banned Australian swimmer Shayna Jack finally reveals how outlawed drug entered her system - and her boyfriend or brothers could unwittingly have put her career at risk
- Ms Jack, 22, tested positive to muscle-building substance Ligandrol in July 2019
- She was initially banned from swimming for four years but this was then halved
- Ms Jack could compete in next year's Tokyo Olympics games thanks to proposal
- Proposal looks to end banning athletes over low levels of banned substances
By
ANDREW PRENTICE FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
PUBLISHED: 22:05 AEDT, 24 November 2020 | UPDATED: 12:50 AEDT, 25 November 2020
Exiled Australian swimmer Shayna Jack has finally revealed the possible source of her positive drugs test in 2019 - a contaminated blender used by her boyfriend or brothers.
But the sprint freestyle specialist 'may never know for sure' how she ingested the banned substance Ligandrol, which is often used by bodybuilders to stimulate muscle growth.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport recently reduced Ms Jack's ban for testing positive to the banned drug from four to two years, finding she did 'not knowingly ingest' the substance
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The court has now published its decision in the case, revealing that Jack offered three possible sources for her positive reading.
Shayna Jack breaks down while talking about her four-year drug ban
Banned Australian swimmer Shayna Jack (pictured above) has an outside chance of competing at the Tokyo Olympics next year
Ms Jack (pictured) recently saw her doping ban reduced from four years to two years following a positive reading for ligandrol, often used by bodybuilders to stimulate muscle growth
Jack, 22, told the court the first possibility was that the supplements she was taking were contaminated.
Another scenario was that the supplements were prepared in a blender used by her boyfriend or siblings, which may have been contaminated with Ligandrol.
The final possibility, Jack told the court, was that she came into contact with the banned substance while using a public pool or gym in Queensland while training ahead of the world swimming championships in May and June last year.
Sydney QC Alan Sullivan, the court's sole arbitrator, applauded Jack's refusal to blame anyone else for the fact she had tested positive.
'Even though it would have perhaps suited her case to blame others, she refused to attribute such blame,' the court heard.
'She appeared to be completely straightforward, genuine and honest in the answers she gave.
'Her demeanour was excellent and her dismay at the situation she found herself in was evident. She became emotional at times in giving her evidence, but not inappropriately or theatrically so.'
Olympic gold medallist Cate Campbell said Ms Jack was 'not the sort of person' who would use a performance enhancing drug, before her sister Bronte Campbell told the court that her national teammate has 'always conducted herself with pride, honesty and fairness.'
The court concluded that on the balance of probabilities, Ms Jack did not intentionally ingest Ligandrol, the
Courier Mail reported.
If a groundbreaking proposal is approved, Shayna Jack (pictured above) could leap from the swim blocks at the 2021 Olympics
Ms Jack previously described her 'heart breaking' after she was informed she had failed a drug test
NRL star James Segeyaro (pictured above) is fighting to clear his name after testing positive to Ligandrol in September last year
Her ban from the pool is due to end on July 12 next year, meaning she won't swim at the Tokyo Olympics, which were delayed due to the global pandemic.
But if a proposal to end the practice of banning athletes who accidentally test positive to low levels of banned substances is approved before the Olympics commence, Ms Jack could leap from the swimming blocks in Japan.
The proposal, led by Travis Tygart, the US anti-doping chief who was instrumental in the downfall of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong, is currently being evaluated by a working group appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Former NRL journeyman James Segeyaro tested positive to the same banned substance as Ms Jack in October 2019. He is still fighting to clear his name.
Fellow NRL star Michael Jennings was provisionally stood down last month after the 32-year-old tested positive to both Ligandrol and Ibutamoren on September 21.
WHAT EXACTLY IS LIGANDROL?
Ligandrol drastically increases muscle mass.
It is what pharmacists call a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM).
These drugs bind at specific sites on skeletal muscles. There, they initiate a cascade of processes which change the expression of different genes in the DNA of muscle cells. The end effect is an increase in the repair and growth of muscle.
This means Ligandrol works in a similar way to testosterone and anabolic steroids, although SARMs typically have fewer side effects.
The typical side effects of anabolic steriods can include short-term aggression and violence, acne, and sleeping difficulties, and long-term effects such as damage to the liver and kidneys, depression, and high blood pressure.
Because Ligandrol can potentially be used to gain an advantage in competitive sports, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) placed the drug on its prohibited list.
Source: The University of Sydney
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