Welsh athletes set to learn their fates in January after testing positive for banned substances earlier this year

The doping hearings of Rhys Williams and Gareth Warburton have taken place with verdicts due next month.

The Welsh athletes were provisionally suspended and withdrawn from their Commonwealth Games team in July after being charged with violating anti-doping rules.

Earlier this year the two athletes both released statements saying how they had not knowingly taken any banned substances, with 2012 European 400m hurdles gold medallist Williams saying how he was utterly devastated” about the news of the anti-doping rule violation. Warburton, who finished fourth over 800m at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and formed part of the GB team at the London 2012 Olympic Games, described news of his anti-doping rule violation as a great shock”.

The duo made their defences to a national anti-doping panel this week and are understood to have claimed contaminated supplements were to blame.

With the hearings now having taken place, the January date for the verdict could be crucial as a 2015 amendment to the World Anti-Doping Association code allows for a just reprimand or a shorter ban if contamination is proven.

In a statement a Welsh Athletics spokesperson said: “Welsh Athletics can confirm a National Anti-Doping Panel hearing has taken place. We now await a decision.

“The matter is subject to confidentiality restrictions imposed by the rules, and as such we are unable to provide further comment. This protects the rights of all involved.

“All anti-doping rule violations are published on the UKAD (UK Anti-Doping) website at the conclusion of any appeal windows or appeal.”

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