Athletics: Williams has drug ban reduced

Rhys Williams was banned last July but the length of his suspension was not initially made public.

British hurdler Rhys Williams can return to competition with immediate effect after his ban for a positive drugs test was reduced to four months by UK Anti-Doping.

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 (UKAD) 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.

"I have to accept what the suspension is but if you ask me I shouldn't have had one," Williams said.

"They found something in my body that was a nanogram amount of a veterinary substance which stays in your body for nine months, so it was definitely not something a 400 metre hurdler would take to get a performance.

"It's all bizarre and it's impossible to foresee a small amount in a supplement that's got labelling.

"I think I've already served more than enough punishment by missing the Commonwealth Games and the European Championship.

"But I'm relieved now I can compete this season because I thought it could be the end of my athletics career, even though I'd done nothing wrong."

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 hehad 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 don't think any athlete realises how bad it can be until it happens to you. What I don't want is people to associate me with drugs as I've proved where the cross-contamination has come from, but I know some people won't care about the facts.

"Google my name now and the first thing that comes up is doping.

"I've been in the British senior team since 2005 and done a lot of good things but this has ruined my reputation and that's what I am trying to get back.

"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."