Shayna Jack Suspended from ISL Pending Outcome of Anti-Doping Proceedings

Editor’s note: the initial ISL release said that Jack had been permanently suspended from the league, and our original reporting was based on that. After release, the ISL walked that back, and said it was a miscommunication internally, and that she is simply suspended for now.

The International Swimming League (ISL) announced in a press release today that Australian Shayna Jack has been suspended from the league, pending the completion of anti-doping proceedings from  the “appropriate governing bodies.” The test was administered by ASADA, the Australian anti-doping agency, which means that their hearing process will decide Jack’s case.

“As I said last month, no doping control rules violation will be overlooked,” said Andrea di Nino, the managing director of the International Swimming League. “This is another case that serves to reiterate our stance on banned substances and breaking doping control rules – no such behavior will ever be condoned. From the outset, the ISL has been an advocate for transparency and clean sport. Any athletes with doping control or ethical violation records will be considered ineligible with no recourse.”

Days before the 2019 FINA World Championships began in Gwangju, South Korea, Jack and Swimming Australia announced that she would not be competing. About a week later, Jack revealed that she had tested positive for the banned substance ligandrol. An announced member of the International Swimming League’s (ISL) California-based squad the Cali Condors, Jack is now ineligible, forever, to race in the newly-formed professional league.

Weeks before the news that Jack would not compete at the World Championships, Brazil’s Santos failed an out-of-competition drug test, putting his eligibility to compete in Gwangju in question. Santos, a member of the D.C. Trident ISL team headed by Kaitlin Sandeno, was banned from competition for one year and will now miss the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

ISL founder and backer Konstantin Grigorishin said at the league’s kickoff summit in London in December that the league and its rules would not have any sympathy for those who might have tested positive for banned substances through tainted supplements or any other accidental contamination. That hard-line stance has already been tested in other cases like American Madisyn Cox and Australian Thomas Fraser-Holmes. ISL has still not publicly defined their zero-tolerance policy.

“We are committed to a doping-free future at the ISL and we completely support the League’s enforcement of its policies,” said Jason Lezak, general manager of the Cali Condors – the team that had signed Jack.

The ISL is schedule to begin its inaugural 7-meet season in October with 8 teams spread across the United States and Europe.

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Blur
4 years ago

If Shayna Jack didn’t take it voluntarily, then someone else spiked her supplements meaning all of Australia’s swimming athletes are probably doping without knowing it. It would have to be someone in Swimming Australia. That’s what it means if she claims she didn’t take it knowingly. Where’s her supplements she says were contaminated? She should be able to produce them.

Swimmer
Reply to  Blur
4 years ago

Do you want to maybe give her a minute to prepare a defence? If she’s innocent, as she claims, then no doubt this is going on now. I doubt tracing the exact batch you were taking at the time of the drugs test or testing its chemical composition is a quick job.

Rookie
4 years ago

Non-swimmer/swim parent here, so please indulge me. I’m having a difficult time understanding what the edge is that makes an athlete think he or she can game the drug testing system and get away with it. Barring corruption (where the drug testers and athletes are in cahoots), what makes an athlete think he can willfully get away with using banned substances? Are the testing procedures less effective than I am led to believe? Are the tests administered less randomly than one would think–so that an athlete could stop using a substance in advance of the tests leaving no trace in his system? Are there masking agents that are really that effective in “fooling” the tests? I realize the potential for… Read more »

Jred
Reply to  Rookie
4 years ago

The tests are much, much less effective than you are lead to believe.

DrSwimPhil
4 years ago

Just “suspended”? What would allow for her suspension to be lifted? And with any logical explanation towards a lifted suspension, shouldn’t the same thing be afforded to someone like Cox? This seems to be somewhat inconsistent.

Jred
Reply to  DrSwimPhil
4 years ago

If she is found to not be at fault.

Short of that she is done.

DrSwimPhil
Reply to  Jred
4 years ago

Except Cox was found “not at fault” but is banned anyways from ISL

Robbos
4 years ago

Lets get some facts!!!
Jack tested positive & is not swimming. A few Aussie swimmers missed drug test & was banned for 12 months. Jack is now tainted & career a wreck.
Sun tested positive, no-one knew until after he served 3 months suspension. Sun destroyed vials consisting of his Tests & is still swimming. Sun is a national hero
Who is embarrass now. All countries drug cheat, it’s how you deal with it.

Whynotme
Reply to  Robbos
4 years ago

What you said was totally wrong about Sun’s case. He’s cleaned by FINA’s doping panel with no wrongdoings and been allowed to swim in South Koren legitimately. Sure he deserved to be a national hero with two Golds in his hands. Embarrassing? Absolutely no!

ThinkAboutIt
Reply to  Whynotme
4 years ago

WADA believe he has a case to answer to and are pursing the matter further with CAS at a hearing in September.
He is under suspicion by the World Anti Doping Agency. Even by FINA themselves. This is not a clear argument.
https://swimswam.com/sun-yang-expected-to-face-cas-hearing-in-september/

Robbos
Reply to  Whynotme
4 years ago

That’s where I really, really struggle. FINA can do something about this, but they refuse to do something about this. That’s upsetting,” says Phelps.

Believing in FINA, ummmmm. Thankfully WADA thought differently & Sun has to answer for it.

Devin
4 years ago

You don’t accidentally take Ligandrol lmaoooo

John
Reply to  Devin
4 years ago

Just like you don’t accidently take clenbuteral?

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.wired.com/2011/03/china-pig-crisis/amp

Sheen
4 years ago

Good! Sun next? (lol)

Sweem
4 years ago

Her lats and pecs are jacked in that picture. Spilling out the side of her suit.

OLLIEPOP
Reply to  Sweem
4 years ago

Have you seen baker?

Sweem
Reply to  OLLIEPOP
4 years ago

comment image
Disturbing

What a beast
Reply to  Sweem
4 years ago

How is that disturbing? That’s what happens when you swim fast.

Troy
Reply to  Sweem
4 years ago

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skip
Reply to  Troy
4 years ago

and now body shaming female swimmers to pretend they are all jacked. no pics of any guys that are ripped like dressel or peaty. nice bias on here by male trolls/ “swim fans”. let shayna present her case at the hearing and see what comes out of it.

Troy
Reply to  skip
4 years ago

I wasn’t body shaming them I was pointing out that this is normal for female sprinters. Interesting that you reply to me where there’s not even any text in my comment to constitute body shaming but don’t reply to the other comments where there is actual body shaming.

About Reid Carlson

Reid Carlson

Reid Carlson originally hails from Clay Center, Kansas, where he began swimming at age six.  At age 14 he began swimming club year-round and later with his high school team, making state all four years.  He was fortunate enough to draw the attention of Kalamazoo College where he went on to …

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