Shayna Jack

Shayna Jack describes it as “a rollercoaster of a career”. But the young Brisbane freestyler has ridden it all the way from rock bottom to being one of Australia’s brightest medal prospects for the Paris Olympics.

Shayna first raised eyebrows as a 15-year-old at the Junior Pan Pacs in 2014, when she won gold in the 100m freestyle, in a time if 54:83, and in the 4x100m freestyle relay. There was also silver in the 200m freestyle and the 4x200m freestyle relay.

In 2017, she swam the lead-off leg in Australia’s silver medal winning 4x100m freestyle relay team – with Bronte Campbell, Brittany Elmslie and Emma McKeon – at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, splitting a 53.75.

At the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast the following year she won gold as a member of the 4x100m freestyle relay team, breaking the world record in the final, as well as finishing fourth in both the 50m and 100m as an individual swimmer. Her path to swimming stardom seemed clear.

Then it all came to a stop with an enforced two years out of the pool. But Shayna showed great resilience when she returned to international competition at the 2022 World Championships, once again in Budapest, after clearing her name from a doping allegation that kept her sidelined for the Tokyo Olympics. There she won gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay and silver in the 4x100m mixed medley relay.

Although her triumphant return was not without a hiccup. Shayna came home from Budapest early for surgery after breaking a bone in her hand in a freak accident in a training pool – her hand became tangled in the costume of another swimmer.

Fit again in time for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham that year, Shayna picked up a full set of medals: a second consecutive gold in the 4x100m freestyle, as well as silver in the 100m freestyle and bronze in the 50m freestyle.

Then at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan – where Australia was the dominant team – Shayna claimed her maiden individual world championship medal with second place in a lightning fast 50m freestyle final behind world record holder Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden.

“This medal means more than anything to me,” she said afterwards. “I got a bit emotional because this does mean a lot to me. It’s been a long journey.”

In Fukuoka, Shayna was also part of three world record relay gold medals. She teamed up with Mollie O’Callaghan, Meg Harris and Emma McKeon to win the 4x100m freestyle relay in a world record time of 3:27.96. Four days later the Australian team of Shayna, Mollie, Brianna Throssell and Ariarne Titmus won gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay, in another world record of 7:37.50.

Mollie was again alongside Shayna, with Jack Cartwright and Kyle Chalmers, when they won gold in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay in a world record of 3:18.83. She also joined Kaylee McKeown, Zac Stubblety-Cook and Matt Temple to take silver in the mixed 4x100m medley relay, behind China.

Shayna is now laser focussed on training for the Paris Olympics, where her coach Dean Boxall predicts she will be “fantastic."

“The Tokyo Olympics is what got my motivation back; seeing how much fun they were having and what they were capable of just reminded me I still want to do that,” Shayna told the ABC.

“I was overwhelmed not to be there, but so proud and knowing I could be part of the team in the future go me going again.

“That fire had ignited and when I could connect with Dean again it was like, ‘Let’s do this’.”