As we await the outcome of the kept-secret Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing date for Aussie sprinter Shayna Jack, the 21-year-old notified police of alleged extortion threats.
Per Brisbane Times, Jack contacted Queensland police to initiate a report about her phone and social media accounts attempting to be hacked. Jack and her lawyer Tim Fuller said the would-be hackers sent messages of ‘we can see what you’re doing at all times’, accompanied by threats to post Jack’s private photos unless she paid them unspecified sums of money.
The St. Peters Western swimmer has removed several of her social media accounts, while Brisbane Times says she is working with authorities and IT specialists to safeguard against further invasions of her privacy.
In the past, Jack had used her Instagram account heavily to state her case against the 4-year doping suspension place upon her for having tested positive for Ligandrol.
Jack returned home to Australia in the middle of the country’s final preparation camp in Nagaoka, Japan for the 2019 World Aquatics Championships, at the time saying that her withdrawal was for “personal reasons.” It was later revealed that Jack had tested positive for the banned substance Ligandrol. The test happened at the team’s domestic camp in Cairns, Australia before heading to Nagaoka for final preparations.
Jack’s four-year ban is the maximum allowed for a first offense and implies that not only was she unable to prove a source of contamination but that she was unable to convince the Australian Anti-Doping Association (ASADA) that her ingestion was accidental.
Her latest Instagram post from last month revealed her intent to fight the ban come her CAS hearing.
“Now the real fight begins. Today I received further notice in relation to my hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Nearly twelve months ago, my world was turned upside down due to allegations of using a prohibited substance in my sport. Despite a lifetime of competing clean and knowing that I had not used any prohibited substance, my life changed in an instance and I was pitchforked into an unknown world of lawyers, politics and machinations that was completely foreign to me. The process has been extremely arduous and debilitating at times.
There are many aspects of the anti-doping system that are seriously flawed but possibly the worst element is the presumption of guilt that one has to bear. What sort of system infers that you are guilty of an alleged breach and the responsibility falls on you to prove your innocence?
Now though, I have an opportunity to stand and fight for my career and reputation. I intend to win this fight and put myself back in the pool and reclaim my position as a member of the Australian swim team. Everyone knows what it is like to have something precious taken away from them and I am no different.
However, regaining my team membership and opportunity to competitively swim again is not my sole objective. Throughout this ordeal, I have learnt a considerable amount about myself. I learnt that the purest pursuit for me was my sport of swimming. I learnt that my individuality and uniqueness was the grounds for my underlying strength. I became acutely aware of my residual determination and my absolute and all-encompassing desire for the truth to be revealed. My understanding of the value of positive mental health and the benefits of a strong and positive mind was reinforced. My belief in who I am and what I stand for was fortified and my understanding of how my message is one to be shared with others was cemented.
Not everyone will fight a flawed system and find themselves ostracised from their friends and support group for something they did not do. If you do though, stand up and fight and know that your honour will always be defended if you tell the truth.”
Crazy she’s only 21, feels like she’s been around a long time. I’m inclined to believe her, but regardless at her age at least this is not a lifetime ban
Obviously with the level of talent at this height of sport it’s certainly plausible to be out for 4 years and come back to an elite career.
But in swimming, I have a hard time imagining just not moving on at that point.
Might be different in other sports. For example, a basketball player who is hit with a 4-year ban by FIBA could continue playing in the NBA, which is not a WADA signatory, and return to international play 4 years later.
But swimming? That would be a really tough mental hurdle to overcome.
“ What sort of system infers that you are guilty of an alleged breach and the responsibility falls on you to prove your innocence?”
Positive A and B samples seems like a pretty good reason to infer guilt. It’s not like a court case where she is accused of a crime, they literally have hard evidence she took a banned substance. Sheesh
You are presumed innocent every time they come and take a sample I suppose…..might be a way to put it! When the results come back……
I get these e-mails every once in a while actually. I just assume it’s spam because the tricksters are being so broad/vague that it could be applicable to anyone so I assume this was just mass e-mailed. That seems to be the case here, but I also don’t have paparazzi outside my house.