Friday 22 May 2015 15:29, UK
Former European 400m hurdles champion Rhys Williams returns to action for the first time since failing a doping test in 2014
The 31-year-old, who competed at the 2012 London Olympics, will launch his season at this weekend's Welsh Regional Championships in Newport.
The son of ex-Welsh Rugby winger JJ Williams was tipped for a medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last year where he was set to represent Wales as co-captain of their athletics team.
All of that is now behind me and I can't wait to get back on the track and into a racing situation,
Williams then tested positive for a contaminated supplement at the Grand Prix in the host city last July and as a result was ruled out of the Games.
The 2012 European champion received a four-month suspension but, in applying their sanction, UK Anti-Doping accepted that the Welsh athlete had not knowingly cheated.
'Determined'
"All of that is now behind me and I can't wait to get back on the track and into a racing situation," said Williams,
"Training has been going well and my focus is firmly fixed on qualifying for the British team for the World Championships in Beijing. I've got five or six races in the diary in the build-up to the world trials on July 5.
"I've never been more determined to try to win a British vest and the experiences of the past year have only served to make me mentally stronger. I know it's going to be a really tough battle to qualify for Beijing, but that's the goal."
Williams was one of three high-profile Wales athletes who were banned from the Commonwealth Games. 800m champion Gareth Warburton was suspended for a total of six months for also failing a drugs test, while Boxing Olympic silver medallist Fred Evans was denied accreditation for an assault in February 2014.
Warburton won on his return to racing when he ran in the 800m final at the Welsh Athletics Indoor International in Cardiff in March.
