Still riding the high of the Tokyo Olympics, Australian swimming is back in full swing this week, as the Australian swimming trials get underway ahead of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
But while Australian fans will be on the lookout for the big names, one name that will be hotly debated is Shayna Jack, a former Commonwealth Games gold medalist who is returning to the pool after an extended absence.
So why was Jack away from the sport, how has she performed during her return, and has she qualified for a second Commonwealth Games?
Did Shayna Jack qualify for the Commonwealth Games?
Shayna Jack has completed her return to swimming after a two-year drug ban by qualifying for Australia's World Championship and Commonwealth Games teams.
Jack swam a personal best 52.60 to finish second in the women's 100m freestyle final at the Australian Swimming Championships to book her ticket to Birmingham in July.
The race was won by 18-year-old Mollie O'Callaghan, whose 52.49 seconds was recorded as the fastest 100m freestyle swim in the world this year, while Madison Wilson (53.19) finished third.
It was Jack's first major event since the 2018 Commonwealth Games after she was given a two-year suspension for taking a small amount of the banned substance Ligandrol back in 2019.
The 23-year-old went to court several times to challenge the ban, but it was upheld, forcing her to sit out last year's Olympic Games in Tokyo.
With Emma McKeon’s gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics giving her an automatic entry into the Commonwealth Games team, Jack needed to finish in the top two to secure a spot in the Dolphins team for Birmingham and she made no mistake.
"You're going to make me cry again. It's just one of those moments that I really, really, really wanted," the Queenslander told Amazon Prime Video.
"To be able to do that with Mollie (O'Callaghan), she swam an amazing time, to come away with a PB like that, I am just so proud of myself and thank you to everybody who supported me to get back to here."
Mollie O just smashes it with a 52.49s to win the 100m free, Shayna Jack swims out of her skin with a 52.60 in second, she's back on the Australian team after a two-year ban. Stories galore at #2022AusTrials
— Phil Lutton (@phillutton78) May 18, 2022
Mollie O’Callaghan takes home her first Australian Title and P.B time, claiming the blockbuster and very close Women’s 100m Freestyle Final.
— Swimming Australia (@SwimmingAUS) May 18, 2022
🥇 Mollie O’Callaghan 52.49
🥈Shayna Jack 52.60
🥉 Meg Harris 53.09#2022AusTrials
What race is Shayna Jack attempting to qualify in?
Jack is seeking to qualify for the Commonwealth Games in the 100 metres freestyle, and she will have her work cut out for her if she wishes to make the cut of the top three who are selected.
One of these spots is already taken, with Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Emma McKeon automatically qualifying.
But with McKeon opting to skip the National Championships, as well as Campbell sisters Cate and Bronte taking a year off, it is the most wide-open this event has been in some time.
Jack’s main competition in this event will be Mollie O’Callaghan - the fastest qualifier (52.83) - and Meg Harris, who was tied second fastest with Jack (52.83).
Madeline Wilson will also be in contention, having won a gold medal in Tokyo as part of the 4x100 metre relay, alongside Harris, O’Callaghan, McKeon and the Campbell sisters.
What was Shayna Jack suspended for?
Jack was suspended in July 2019, after ASADA found she had tested for Ligandrol, a banned anabolic agent that can stimulate muscle growth.
She was initially banned for four years, but this was reduced to two years on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after it was found that she did not knowingly ingest the agent.
Jack was then cleared to resume swimming in September of 2021 after a last-ditch appeal by the Australian anti-doping watchdog was dismissed by CAS.
