There has been much talk about anti-doping on the pool deck this week. Dozens of swimmers have expressed concerns about the binary discussion surrounding recent positive tests by Chinese swimmers and the ongoing question-marks surrounding the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada). British breaststroke champion Adam Peaty spoke for many swimmers when he said: “You definitely want a fair game, you want to win fair and be around people who do the same and live by the same values.”
But one swimmer has kept a notable silence. Shayna Jack’s experience underscores the complexities of the anti-doping system, the individual injustices occasioned by blanket rules and presumptions of guilt. Above all, her comeback represents a remarkable feat of perseverance.
