Swimming world in disbelief over devastating Shayna Jack news

Swimming fans have been left shattered for Shayna Jack after the Aussie star was forced to withdraw from the remainder of the world championships on Wednesday after breaking her hand.

The controversial swimmer announced on Wednesday night that she'd slipped and broken her hand in a warm-up area and was therefore unable to complete the rest of her program in Budapest.

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Jack had won a gold and silver medal in relay events ahead of her scheduled individual swims.

But the 23-year-old, on return to international competition after a two-year doping ban, was hurt in a freak accident on Wednesday.

"I'm broken-hearted to announce that I have to withdraw from the rest of the competition and that I won't have the opportunity to achieve everything I wanted to," Jack posted on Instagram.

"I am still so proud of what I've achieved, how far I've come with the amazing teammates I've been able to medal with."

Jack said she broke a hand "due to an unfortunate incident in this morning's training session", slipping in a warm-up area.

The Australian was due to swim the 50m and 100m freestyle events after earlier making a successful return to international racing.

The Queenslander was part of Australia's gold-medal winning 4x100m freestyle relay team on the opening night of competition, and added a silver medal as part of the 4x100m mixed medley team on Monday.

She said she would now turn her attention to competing at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, starting July 28.

"As I always do, I turn my focus to the future and that is the Commonwealth Games," she posted.

"Starting this afternoon I will be back in the pool for a kick session."

Jack later posted a photo from hospital showing her arm in a cast, as well as an X-ray of her broken hand.

"The past couple hours I have been in shock and disbelief. I’ve had X-rays done (2nd image) which shows a spiral break in my 4th metacarpal," she wrote.

"This was caused by a freak accident during my 100 freestyle warm up involving another swimmer.

"To ensure the fastest possible recovery for my hand, I will be returning home to AUS for surgery."

Devastating end to Shayna Jack's international return

The world championships marked Jack's return to swimming on the international stage after a two-year ban when traces of a banned substance were found in her system just before the last world championships in 2019.

She was initially suspended for four years but the ban was cut in half when Jack appealed that she hadn't knowingly ingested the banned substance.

The Queenslander has always maintained her innocence and made a successful return to the pool at the Australian championships last month.

"I am just overwhelmed with emotions to be back on the team," Jack said after qualifying for the world titles and Commonwealth Games.

"Not many people really know what I actually went through, the depths of it.

"And to be back and wearing those (Australian) colours again means more than anything to me.

"I can't thank (enough) all the people in my inner circle who got me through and got me back to swimming.

"My goal was to ... fall back in love with swimming again and I have. I am really, really proud to be back."

The 23-year-old previously admitted to fearing she would never return to the Australian swim team.

"There was a lot of times I thought I might not get to this point," she said.

"And not just because of the whole (doping) case. I struggled. I lost touch with why I love swimming and why I did swim."

with AAP

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