The sinister 'revenge' theory in Shayna Jack's doping scandal
FINA has been forced to deny claims it leaked news of Shayna Jack’s positive drug test as ‘revenge’ for Mack Horton and Australia’s condemnation of Sun Yang.
Jack was planning to go public with her positive test after the world championships in South Korea in fear it would distract her Aussie teammates.
However the scandal was leaked mid-meet, sparking claims FINA went public with it to spite the Aussie team.
MASSIVE: ASADA set to impose four-year ban on Shayna Jack
Swimming’s governing body came under heavy fire from Australia over their decision to let Sun compete in South Korea ahead of a court case that could see him banned for life.
However FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu has denied such claims.
“The situation with the Australian girl, we didn’t say anything,” Marculescu said.
“This was a test conducted by the Australia Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA). We were informed.”
Marculescu was fuming when Horton refused to take the podium with Sun, who is accused of smashing blood samples with a hammer.
He reportedly told Australian officials to pull Horton into line and threatened bans for any athletes who pulled off similar protests.
Aussies furious about Jack leak
Either way, Jack’s teammates are fuming that the news was leaked, believing her right to a fair doping hearing has been impinged.
The leadership group of Cate Campbell and her sister Bronte, Mitch Larkin, Jess Hansen and Alex Graham say they support Swimming Australia's handling of the Jack case.
Jack will on Friday meet with ASADA after testing positive for banned drug Ligandrol, a muscle growth agent, at a swim camp ahead of the world championships.
Jack withdrew from the world titles, initially citing personal reasons, only for her positive drugs test to be leaked to media last weekend.
Swimming Australia says under anti-doping legislation, it wasn't able to inform the public earlier of the 20-year-old's positive test - a position backed by the Dolphins' leadership group.
"Swimming Australia kept our team informed when they were allowed, under the legislation, to do so," the leadership group said in a joint statement on Tuesday.
"We also strongly believe in an athlete's right to privacy and fair process under the ASADA code while a full investigation takes place and due to a leak of this information in the early stages of this process these rights have been infringed.
"We stand very strongly in our commitment to clean and drug-free sport and this won't change.
"But we also are strongly committed to following the procedures set out in legislation."
Jack faces a four-year ban from competition - the standard penalty for a doping violation involving anabolic agents such as Ligandrol.
Jack will argue she didn't knowingly take the drug - if she can prove her argument to ASADA, the length of ban might be reduced.
Jack cops $7 million blow
She has already been banned from the rich International Swimming League as she prepares to fight her case.
Jack had been included in the Cali Condors team for the ISL's series starting this October, which offers competitors a share in a staggering $7 million prize pool.
But the ISL says Jack has been suspended from the league, pending the outcome of her case.
She had had been selected for the ISL, a new series of events featuring some of the world's best swimmers.
The ISL's managing director Andrea di Nino says Jack's selection has been revoked for the meets to be held in Europe and the United States from October.
"No doping control rules violation will be overlooked," di Nino said in a statement on the ISL's website.
"This is another case that serves to reiterate our stance on banned substances and breaking doping control rules. No such behaviour will ever be condoned.
"From the outset, the ISL has been an advocate for transparency and clean sport.
"Any athletes with doping control or ethical violation records will be considered ineligible with no recourse."
Jack's manager Philip Stoneman has said the swimmer won't contest the presence of the banned drug in her system.
"I don't think this is a question of Shayna denying there is something in her body," Stoneman said.
"What she is doing is fighting her innocence because it shouldn't be in there and she doesn't know how it got in there."
with AAP