Shayna Jack announces swimming retirement on eve of Commonwealth Games

Australian swimmer Shayna Jack has announced she will retire from the sport at the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The announcement came via a social media video posted with her coach, Dean Boxall.

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I'm extremely proud of everything I've achieved in my swimming career.

Jack expressed immense pride in her swimming career, which has included numerous accolades, such as gold medals in relay events at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. She stated her intention to leave the sport "with my head held high" after a journey marked by both triumphs and challenges.

"I have always loved the Commonwealth Games, so it is a perfect way to give back to my Australian community, do myself proud and walk away with a smile on my face," Jack said in her retirement video. She highlighted her first Commonwealth Games gold medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay in Birmingham in 2018.

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I cannot wait to finish at the Commonwealth Games, Glasgow.

Her career also faced a significant hurdle when she served a 24-month ban following a positive test for the substance Ligandrol. Jack has consistently denied intentionally taking a banned substance. Despite this, she achieved success at the Paris Olympics, securing gold medals in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay and the women's 4x200m freestyle relay.

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I have always loved the Commonwealth Games, so it is a perfect way to give back to my Australian community, do myself proud and walk away with a smile on my face.

Jack emphasized that her motivation for swimming was never solely about medals or world records. "I swam because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to be someone people looked up to," she stated, reflecting on the impact she hopes to have had beyond her athletic achievements.

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I'm really proud of what swimming made me. I'm not just proud of medals or the world records. That's never what I swam for. I swam because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to be someone people looked up to.