Callum Priestley
Encyclopedia
Callum Priestley (born 13 February 1989) is a British
athlete who specialises in hurdling
. He was banned after a positive sample for banned substances was found in a urine sample whilst training with the UK team in South Africa in January 2010.
It is clear that he may have had significant potential. He began competing in athletics while at school and finished second in the 110 metres hurdles
at the 2005 English Schools' Athletic Association Championships. 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 UK Indoor Championships. He followed this with second place finishes outdoors at the England U23 Championships and the UK World Trials/National Championships. 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 UK 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. He gained lottery funding at the end of the year as part of the 2012 London Olympics development programme.
Working with top British coach Lloyd Cowan and competing for the Woodford Green with Essex Ladies athletics club, the next season he became the national champion indoors with a 60 m hurdles win in Sheffield
. Following the victory, he went to train in the UK 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 symtoms. Priestley, his solicitor and Michelle Verroken (who specilises in the field of 'integrity in sport')all claim that UK Anti-Doping could have been more proactive in finding the reason for his failed test - especially in view of the food poisoning in the camp. In Priestely's press release Verroken sends a very clear message to the athlete and the athletics world by saying: “Importantly Callum – remember you know the truth, this decision has failed to find the truth, and it has reached the convenient administrative conclusion.”
In his defence, he claims that the symtoms appear to be very similar if not the same as those one might expect to find if one was suffering from clenbuterol poisoning. During the camp Priestley was the only athlete tested. Non of the athletes were examined to establish why so many athletes came down with the same symptoms. Priestley suggests that this was an opportunity missed by the team organisers and/or the authorities responsible for ensuring athlete safety.
The following is taken from his press release (Sept 2010):
“I may have lost out from this as my severe food poisoning was not fully analysed or diagnosed. I just hope for the sake of other athletes that those are issues that UK Athletics and UK Anti-Doping will examine seriously on conclusion of these proceedings.”
See the full Priestley response at Athletics Weekly online: http://www.athletics-weekly.com/article.php?id=1561
When confronted he initially felt that it may have had something to do with the supplements he was taking. Whilst arranging to have them tested (he had to arrange to have then sent to America) he, his lawyer and Michelle Veroken attempted to establish if there was a link to the food poisoning.
He initially stated that he thought his nutritional supplements were responsible (tests did not detect the supplements), and later suggested steroid
-treated South African meat could be the source – a claim which was never substantiated scientifically. He was banned from the sport for two years for the failed test and also received a lifetime ban from the Olympic Games
, ruling him out of the upcoming London Games. This made him the first British athlete to fail a test and receive a ban since Dwain Chambers
in 2003.
The following is extracted from Athletics Daily online (http://athleticsdaily.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=chat&action=display&thread=5604&page=1. It is uncontroversial to state that anti-doping procedures in terms of athletics is designed solely to establish the presence of a banned substance in an athlete’s sample. How it got there, whether the athlete is an intended cheat, is not the issue. It is simply a case of guilty until proven innocent. If an athlete believes the substance arrived there in an 'accidental' manner, then it is up to the athlete to prove it - usually at a significant cost to the athlete and/or their family.
Further the Sports lawyer, Mike Morgan, of Hammonds LLP who is taking on a number of cases worldwide where athletes have failed Clenbuterol tests and similar substances, said: “The circumstances of this case - i.e. meat contamination- should compel anti-doping authorities to investigate the risk to athletes of training and competing in countries in which prohibited substances are used to rear animal stock. See Priestley press release: http://www.athletics-weekly.com/article.php?id=1561
In conclusion it may be argued (as it is by Verroken) that any "responsible organisation would be, at least, taking steps to ensure that athletes training in Stellenbosch are not at risk, that nutritionists are not the catalyst of risky supplement use and the sport should be in immediate contact offering opportunities to reintroduce an athlete to the sport again.”
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
athlete who specialises in hurdling
Hurdling
Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...
. He was banned after a positive sample for banned substances was found in a urine sample whilst training with the UK team in South Africa in January 2010.
It is clear that he may have had significant potential. He began competing in athletics while at school and finished second in the 110 metres hurdles
110 metres hurdles
The 110 metres hurdles is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is incuded in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metre hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hurdles of 1.067 metres in height are evenly spaced along a straight...
at the 2005 English Schools' Athletic Association Championships. Progressing through the ranks at youth level, he represented Great Britain at the 2007 European Athletics Junior Championships
2007 European Athletics Junior Championships
The 2007 European Athletics Junior Championships is the 2007 version of the European Athletics Junior Championships. It was held from 19 July to 22 July at the FBK-Stadium in Hengelo, in the eastern Netherlands.- Men :- Women :- Medals table :...
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
60 metres hurdles
60 metres hurdles is a distance in hurdling which is generally run in indoor competitions. It is equivalent with the first 60 metres including the first 5 hurdles of a standard outdoor hurdle race. The current women's and men's world records are 7.68 seconds and 7.30 seconds ,...
at the UK Indoor Championships. He followed this with second place finishes outdoors at the England U23 Championships and the UK World Trials/National Championships. At the 2009 European Athletics U23 Championships
2009 European Athletics U23 Championships
The 7th European Athletics U23 Championships were held between 16 and 19 July 2009 in the S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium in Kaunas, Lithuania.-Men's Results:-Women's Results:-Medal table:-References:General...
he won the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
behind Artur Noga
Artur Noga
Artur Noga is a Polish athlete. He mainly competes in the 110 metres hurdles. He finished 5th at the 2008 Summer Olympics in a time of 13.36s. His personal best time of 13.34s was set in the semi final in Beijing....
and compatriot Gianni Frankis, running a personal best time of 13.63 seconds. A win at the McCain UK Challenge Final in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
meant he earned a share of the £5000 jackpot as he won his race and topped the event rankings in the national competition. He gained lottery funding at the end of the year as part of the 2012 London Olympics development programme.
Working with top British coach Lloyd Cowan and competing for the Woodford Green with Essex Ladies athletics club, the next season he became the national champion indoors with a 60 m hurdles win in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. Following the victory, he went to train in the UK Athletics
UK Athletics
UK Athletics is the governing body for the sport of athletics in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for overseeing the governance of athletics events in the UK as well as athletes, their development, and athletics officials....
winter camp in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
that February. There he failed an out-of-competition drugs test, after the prohibited substance clenbuterol
Clenbuterol
Clenbuterol is a sympathomimetic amine used by sufferers of breathing disorders as a decongestant and bronchodilator. People with chronic breathing disorders such as asthma use this as a bronchodilator to make breathing easier...
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 symtoms. Priestley, his solicitor and Michelle Verroken (who specilises in the field of 'integrity in sport')all claim that UK Anti-Doping could have been more proactive in finding the reason for his failed test - especially in view of the food poisoning in the camp. In Priestely's press release Verroken sends a very clear message to the athlete and the athletics world by saying: “Importantly Callum – remember you know the truth, this decision has failed to find the truth, and it has reached the convenient administrative conclusion.”
In his defence, he claims that the symtoms appear to be very similar if not the same as those one might expect to find if one was suffering from clenbuterol poisoning. During the camp Priestley was the only athlete tested. Non of the athletes were examined to establish why so many athletes came down with the same symptoms. Priestley suggests that this was an opportunity missed by the team organisers and/or the authorities responsible for ensuring athlete safety.
The following is taken from his press release (Sept 2010):
“I may have lost out from this as my severe food poisoning was not fully analysed or diagnosed. I just hope for the sake of other athletes that those are issues that UK Athletics and UK Anti-Doping will examine seriously on conclusion of these proceedings.”
See the full Priestley response at Athletics Weekly online: http://www.athletics-weekly.com/article.php?id=1561
When confronted he initially felt that it may have had something to do with the supplements he was taking. Whilst arranging to have them tested (he had to arrange to have then sent to America) he, his lawyer and Michelle Veroken attempted to establish if there was a link to the food poisoning.
He initially stated that he thought his nutritional supplements were responsible (tests did not detect the supplements), and later suggested steroid
Steroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
-treated South African meat could be the source – a claim which was never substantiated scientifically. He was banned from the sport for two years for the failed test and also received a lifetime ban from the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, ruling him out of the upcoming London Games. This made him the first British athlete to fail a test and receive a ban since Dwain Chambers
Dwain Chambers
Dwain Anthony Chambers is an English sprinter of Afro-Caribbean descent. He has won medals on the international stage numerous times and is one of the fastest European sprinters in the history of recorded athletics. His primary event is the 100 metres sprint, in which he has the second...
in 2003.
The following is extracted from Athletics Daily online (http://athleticsdaily.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=chat&action=display&thread=5604&page=1. It is uncontroversial to state that anti-doping procedures in terms of athletics is designed solely to establish the presence of a banned substance in an athlete’s sample. How it got there, whether the athlete is an intended cheat, is not the issue. It is simply a case of guilty until proven innocent. If an athlete believes the substance arrived there in an 'accidental' manner, then it is up to the athlete to prove it - usually at a significant cost to the athlete and/or their family.
Further the Sports lawyer, Mike Morgan, of Hammonds LLP who is taking on a number of cases worldwide where athletes have failed Clenbuterol tests and similar substances, said: “The circumstances of this case - i.e. meat contamination- should compel anti-doping authorities to investigate the risk to athletes of training and competing in countries in which prohibited substances are used to rear animal stock. See Priestley press release: http://www.athletics-weekly.com/article.php?id=1561
In conclusion it may be argued (as it is by Verroken) that any "responsible organisation would be, at least, taking steps to ensure that athletes training in Stellenbosch are not at risk, that nutritionists are not the catalyst of risky supplement use and the sport should be in immediate contact offering opportunities to reintroduce an athlete to the sport again.”