Dom Taylor has been expelled from the PDC World Darts Championship after failing a drugs test, the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) confirmed on Thursday. The 27-year-old tested positive for a prohibited substance on 14 December, the day he defeated Oskar Lukasiak 3-0 in the first round at Alexandra Palace.
The DRA announced an immediate suspension, stating that Taylor is barred from all DRA-regulated events pending a disciplinary process. As a result, his scheduled second-round opponent, Jonny Clayton, receives a bye to the third round. Clayton will now face the winner of Niels Zonneveld and Michael Smith after Christmas.
This is not Taylor's first doping violation. He missed the 2025 World Championship due to a previous failed test, which initially carried a potential two-year ban but was reduced to one month after he proved the substance was ingested out of competition. He subsequently completed a three-month treatment programme approved by UK Anti-Doping.
Following his first-round win, Taylor addressed the earlier suspension, calling it the 'biggest let down of my life' but adding that he had 'rebounded back.' He credited his mental resilience to keeping to himself and practising alone.
The DRA declined further comment, citing the confidentiality of the ongoing disciplinary process.
