Sport Australia to take lead on doping debate in wake of Jack case

Sport Australia is set to spearhead an overarching post-mortem into the handling of positive drug tests as other sporting bodies seek to take lessons from the Shayna Jack doping case.

Freestyle sprinter Jack, 20, tested positive to the non-steroidal anabolic agent Ligandrol and was sent home ahead of last month’s FINA World Championships in South Korea.

She had intended to keep the matter private until the completion of the meet but the news broke two days before the championships ended, prompting accusations that Swimming Australia (SA) had covered up the matter.

The governing body has fiercely defended its handling of the process, with SA president John Bertrand saying they had no choice under the strict ASADA guidelines but to keep the matter confidential unless Jack wanted to disclose it publicly.

But Bertrand said there would be discussions about the strategy going forward and how it might be handled should a similar scenario arise during the Tokyo Games. It is an issue with huge significance for other Olympic and non-Olympic sports that operate under similarly rigid anti-doping guidelines.

Read The Sydney Morning Herald