Dom Taylor Suspended from World Darts Championship

Dom Taylor, a 27-year-old darts player from Bristol, has been suspended from the 2025-26 Paddy Power World Darts Championship after testing positive for a banned substance. The Darts Regulation Authority announced the decision on December 19, following an adverse finding from a test conducted on December 14 during the tournament at London's Alexandra Palace.

Taylor had advanced to the second round with a 3-0 victory over Sweden's Oskar Lukasiak on December 14, marking his debut at the event after missing last year's edition due to a prior suspension. He was scheduled to face Wales' Jonny Clayton on Saturday night, but Clayton will now receive a bye into the third round, where he is set to play the winner of the match between Niels Zonneveld and Michael Smith after the Christmas break. Clayton had earlier defeated Adam Lipscombe in his first-round match.

The Professional Darts Corporation and Darts Regulation Authority conduct routine drug testing as part of their anti-doping procedures throughout the championship. In a joint statement, they confirmed that Taylor has been barred from all DRA-regulated events with immediate effect. The matter will undergo a disciplinary process...