Welsh athlete: 'I should not have been suspended for banned substance'

Former European hurdles champion Rhys Williams insists he should not have been suspended for having a banned substance in his system due to a contaminated supplement.

Williams and fellow Welshman Gareth Warburton were "at fault or negligent" in failing to check supplements they took in an energy drink contained banned substances, according to a UK Anti-Doping official report which was published on Monday.

The pair failed drugs tests last summer - forcing the athletes to miss both the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships. Although their bans were reduced as it was accepted they did not knowingly use banned substances, Williams, 30, received a suspension of four months with Warburton, 31, banned for six months.

Both athletes are now clear to compete again after admitting their careers would have been over had the maximum four-year ban for serious cases of intentional doping been handed out, but Williams - who won European 400m hurdles gold at Helsinki in 2012 - still feels he has done nothing wrong and that the punishment was harsh.

Cardiff athlete Williams had just given a speech as Wales athletics team captain on the eve of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow when he was told he had tested positive for a banned substance.

The next day he was on the plane home from the team's pre-Games base in Portugal, fighting to save his career and launching a campaign which he says has cost him £100,000 when you add up legal fees and loss of track earnings and sponsorship.

"I've never cried so much in my life and it also left my wife and coach in tears, it's been very upsetting for the whole family," said Williams, the son of Wales rugby legend JJ."

"I want to turn this whole thing into a positive and educate athletes in not making the same mistake, because if it can happen to me who's done all the physical checks then it can happen to anyone."

Williams says he is now focused on resuming his track career ahead of this year's World Championships in Beijing but, like Warburton, admits he will not be using supplements in the future.

Warburton said his suspension was two months longer than Williams' because he was told he had not made as many checks on the supplement concerned as his international colleague.

The 800m runner from north Wales said he was not bothered about the finger of suspicion being pointed at him and insisted he was a clean athlete.

UKAD director of legal Graham Arthur said in a statement: "These cases send a powerful reminder to athletes that there is no guarantee that any supplement product is free from banned substances. "Athletes are strongly advised to be very cautious if they choose to use any supplement product and must undertake thorough research of any products before use.