Callum Priestley

Education

He began competing in athletics while at school and finished second in the 110 metres hurdles at the 2005 English Schools" Athletic Association Championships.

Career

He was banned after a positive sample for banned substances was found in a urine sample whilst training with the United Kingdom team in South Africa in January 2010. Subsequent to the ban, Priestley retired from competitive athletics. Progressing through the ranks at youth level, he represented Great Britain at the 2007 European Athletics Junior Championships and reached the hurdles final, although he did not finish the race.

The 2009 season proved to be a breakthrough at national level as he took third in the 60 metres hurdles at the United Kingdom Indoor Championships.

He followed this with second place finishes outdoors at the England U23 Championships and the United Kingdom World Trials/National Championships. He gained lottery funding at the end of the year as part of the 2012 London Olympics development programme.

Following the victory, he went to train in the United Kingdom Athletics winter camp in South Africa that February. There he failed an out-of-competition drugs test, after the prohibited substance clenbuterol was found in his system.

He claimed he ingested the substance unintentionally.

Additionally he claimed that he and a number of athletes in the team came down with food poisoning. The team doctor attended and confirmed his symptoms. Disillusioned with the sport following his ban, he did not return to the sport after its conclusion.

Achievements

• At the 2009 European Athletics U23 Championships he won the bronze medal behind Artur Noga and compatriot Gianni Frankis, running a personal best time of 13.63 seconds. A win at the McCain United Kingdom Challenge Final in Cardiff meant he earned a share of the £5000 jackpot as he won his race and topped the event rankings in the national competition. The next season he became the national champion indoors with a 60 m hurdles win in Sheffield.