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AAP
AAP
Steve Larkin

Jack's pride at gold medal win after doping nightmare

Shayna Jack (centre) is sandwiched by her triumphant women's 4x100m freestyle relay teammates. (Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS)

Three years ago, Shayna Jack was wandering around a zoo and full of envy.

Australia's women's 4x100m freestyle relay team were racing at the Tokyo Olympics.

But Jack's two-year doping suspension had just ended - it cost her the chance of swimming at the Tokyo Games.

Australia's team of Emma McKeon, sisters Cate and Bronte Campbell, and Meg Harris won gold in Toyko in a world record time.

"I was at Australia Zoo," Jack said after featuring in Australia's 4x100m free relay team which won gold at the Paris Games on Saturday night.

"I'm a really big animal lover, so is my partner, and I went to Australia Zoo.

"I still was tempted to watch ... and cheer them on, I love those girls.

"It was joy for them but it was also envy that I couldn't be there.

"I messaged each one of them after.

"It was one of those moments that gave me that fight to come back.

"It actually drove that passion to come back and be part of this team."

Jack, who has always maintained her innocence of doping, now will seek to come down from the Paris relay high and focus on her individual swims, the 50m and 100m freestyles.

"I have so many things I want to achieve this week," she said.

"I'm going to take that time at the end of the week to reflect but for now it's getting back in the pool, getting ready and striving forward to see what else I can do.

"Making the Olympic team was my first step and that was one of the most exciting moments, I didn't know where that was going to take me. 

"This is definitely a great start."

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