Queensland Championships, Night 4: Shayna Jack and brother Jamie Set Their Sights on LA28 After Impressive 50m Freestyle Double Act
Paris golden girl Shayna Jack and her exciting little brother Jamie Jack have taken their first steps towards delivering a “sister-brother” act for the LA28 Olympic Games.
Team Jack created a little slice of family history tonight at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre winning the men’s and women’s 50m freestyle titles at the Hancock Prospecting Queensland Championships – a rare feat in the premier swimming State’s proud history.
Hoping to follow in the footsteps of the famous Aussie brother and sister “Konrads kids” who took the swimming world by storm in the 60s – both representing g at the 1960 Rome Olympics where John Konrads won gold in the 1500m and Ilsa Konrads silver in the 4x100m freestyle relay.
Shayna, barely back in the water after her golden Olympic campaign, opened proceedings with a comfortable victory in the women’s final in a solid 24.96 before a very much in form 22-year-old Jamie swam his third personal best time of the meet, winning the corresponding men’s final in a slick the sixth fastest time by an Australian.
Only the cream of Australian freestyle sprinters, Olympic champion Cam McEvoy (21.06), Ashley Callus(21.19), Eamon Sullivan (21.38), James Magnussen (21.52) and Isaac Cooper (21.65) have been faster.
Shayna, a member of Australia’s premier 4x100m freestyle relay team, saying she decided to swim the meet, with many of her Olympic team mates yet to return to the pool, to stake a mark in the sand as her start to the next Games in LA and to inspire the swarms of youngsters, among the 9000 nominations for the week-long Queensland Championships.
While Jamie, who missed the team for Paris, declaring he wants “in” for LA too.
“That is the goal, to make it to LA and to be there with Shayna would be amazing,” said Jamie, who added the 50m title to his win in the 100m final last night (in a pb of 48.27) after two sub 22 second swims in the lead offs for the St Peters Western Relays in 21.74 and 21.94.
Jack revealing his self coaching plan to Swimming World yesterday.
More to come…….