Aussie Selection Trials: Shayna Jack Admits She Is In For A “Nerve Wracking” Time As Brother Jamie Joins Games Bid
Shayna Jack admits she’s in for a “nerve wracking” time at next week’s Australian Trials meet for this year’s Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacs – juggling her own preparation and emotions and watching her brother Jamie’s own Games bid.
The Paris Olympic gold medallist in Australia’s all-conquering women’s 4x100m freestyle is also a two-Games veteran having made her debut and winning her first relay gold on the Gold Coast in 2018 in a team that included legendary trio Emma McKeon and the Campbell sisters Cate and Bronte.
The girls defended that relay win in Birmingham in 2022 where the now 27-year-old Jack also added individual silver in the 100m freestyle and bronze in the 50m.
“It’s quite nerve wracking because my brother (Jamie) does race before me … I’ll be racing the day after,” said Jack, OLY, OAM, who is now based in Perth on Australia’s West Coast, training with the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS), while still representing Queensland’s premier club, St Peters Western.
“So I want to still look after myself and make sure I get my spot as well as (be) watching Jamie and supporting him but also acknowledging that this is also his moment.”
Jamie will kick-start his Games bid on Day 3 in the 100m freestyle with the 50m on Day 4 with Shayna swimming her 100m freestyle on Day 5 followed by the 50m freestyle on the sixth and final day of the meet.
Australia’s team for the Glasgow Games will be named at the conclusion of the meet on Saturday night June 13.
The 2026 campaign won’t be easy for either Jamie or Shayna.
Jamie up against world record holder Cam McEvoy (Sommerville Aquatics, QLD) in the 50m and Olympic sprint king Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA) along with the likes of Olympians Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) and Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD).
While Shayna will face Olympic and world champions led by Mollie O’Callaghan Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD and Meg Harris (Rackley, QLD) and youngsters led by Olivia Wunsch (Carlile, NSW) and Milla Jansen (Bond, QLD).
A third Games for Shayna and a debut Games for Jamie would be a special occasion for the sister-brother act.
“The Commonwealth Games is my absolute favourite meet and for me it’s a meet that we can see a lot of rookies coming through and it’s a meet that people can actually experience what a Village life might be like or those high performance environments,” said Shayna when she joined Para stars, Blacktown, NSW duo Tim Hodge and Chloe Osborn for the Trials Meet launch at the iconic and newly re-developed North Sydney Pool – swimming and diving venue for the 1938 Commonwealth Games.
“It (the Commonwealth Games) is crucial for the development of the sport and for the development of the athletes and so I really look forward to seeing how it goes.
“There’s so much depth in Australian swimming and I think for me it’s always exciting to get up on those blocks and just give it your all, you can only control as much as you can control.
“I have been doing this for quite a long time, and so for me it’s just about racing.
“I’ve done the work and (we’ll) see what happens on the day, because that is the reality of swimming. It comes down to the day, so I really look forward to seeing how I go and being with the girls.”
WAIS welcomed Jack OLY OAM as a scholar in March after she relocated to Western Australia full-time.
Jack’s move marked the beginning of a new chapter, both personally and professionally, settling in Perth alongside her partner, Joel Rintala, who is based in WA as part of the Australian Men’s Hockey Team.
For Jack, the relocation represents what she describes as a “new adventure in the West”, combining lifestyle balance with a focused, high-performance training environment as she builds toward her Glasgow goal.
“WAIS stepped up to the challenge of having me join their environment,” says Jack.
“It’s an exciting, fresh chapter, but one that allows me to continue striving for my goals.”
Jack’s day-to-day training in Perth is now guided by WAIS Head Swimming Coach former English coach Ian Hulme – who was on Team England at the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games.
While maintaining strong ties to her long-standing training environment in Queensland, including the Queensland Academy of Sport and St Peters Western head coach, Boxall.
Hulme saying: “Shayna brings an enormous amount of experience, professionalism and perspective.
“Our role is to support her as an individual while contributing to the strength of the collective team, and to create a performance environment that supports her to train with clarity, purpose and confidence as she works toward her goals.”
Beyond the pool, Jack has spoken openly about the significance of being able to live in the same State as partner Joel after spending long periods managing distance alongside elite sport.
“We have different goals as athletes, but the same focus collectively as a partnership,” Jack said. “Being together makes everything feel better, training, life, all of it.”
Western Australia’s lifestyle, from its climate and coastline to its tight-knit high-performance community, has also played a key role in the transition, offering balance alongside the demands of elite training.
As she enters this new chapter in the West, Jack is equally focused on the impact she can have beyond results. ‘I want to leave a legacy in swimming… I want to be part of setting the standard of what elite is and help foster an environment that aims to succeed on the world stage.”
