Aussie swimmer Shayna Jack has been cleared to return to the pool and compete again after the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed an appeal challenging her reduced ban.
“After a two year and three month battle, I have finally received my final decision that my appeal case has been dismissed by the Court of Arbitration,” Jack wrote in a post on Instagram.
“I am now free to do what I love with no restrictions and am so overwhelmed with joy.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CT4Ivp9F2qB/
“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.
“Thank you to everyone who has stood by me, supported me and help me overcome this challenge.
“I will speak more in the future, now is not the time… but watch this space, it’s only the beginning.”
Jack was suspended for four years after testing positive to the illegal substance ligandrol in July 2019 before the FINA World Championships in South Korea.
The ban was reduced to two years late last year by the CAS however Sport Integrity Australia (formerly known as ASADA) and the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) appealed that decision.
Jack has forked out hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal fees, battled through mental health struggles, and cyber bullying as she fought to clear her name.
Now that the CAS dismissed the appeal against her reduced ban, and two years already served, the 22-year-old is free to resume her swimming career, with the 2022 World Championships and Commonwealth Games in her sights.