The 27-year-old native of Bristol failed a doping test for the first time last November. Because of this, he lost participation in the final tournament of the Players Championship series, as well as the World Championship.
Taylor faced a two-year ban, but because it was a non-performance-enhancing substance, he ended up only getting a one-month sentence.
He was able to return to the elite and this year he actually won his first participation in the WC. In London’s Alexandra Palace, he even recorded a winning debut – he defeated Swede Oskar Lukasiak 3:0 and lost only one leg in three sets.
In the interview after the win, he returned to the punishment from last year. “It was the biggest disappointment of my life, but I recovered and I’m here,” said the home darts player.
But a few days later, shocking news shook the championship. Taylor was again caught by doping commissioners and is banned from the tournament.
It’s not just fans who wonder how such a thing is possible.
“You’ll get caught and you’ll lose the WC because of doping. And you’ll do it again in a year. He’s probably the biggest idiot who ever played darts,” former top Dutch player Vincent van der Voort said of Taylor.
“It’s a moron to add… I think now from the PDC (Professional Darts Corporation – association of darts professionals, note ed.) is going to get hit hard,” continued Van der Voort.
Exactly how Taylor violated the doping rules is not known. But the reduction of his sentence last year was already linked to the completion of three months of drug addiction treatment.
The Englishman himself responded in a statement on his Facebook account.
He apologized to family, friends, sponsors, management team and fans. He regretted lying to the cameras after winning the first round. To the fans, to myself and to everyone around me.
Subsequently, he elaborated on childhood traumas. “At the age of 12, I found my grandmother passed out in bed, then a lot of other events happened during the year, including my brother’s heart attack. My close friend died of a brain tumor, it hit me hard,” he described.
For Taylor, Darts was an escape from the harsh reality. He also twice overcame dartitis, a psychosomatic disease of darters, in which the player loses control of the throw due to a combination of various factors.
“But this year, the anniversary of my daughter’s death really affected me. I started struggling with mental issues again and went back to substances that allowed my body and mind to cope,” continued Taylor.
“I know I should have talked to someone, but that’s an easy thing to say now. When your world comes crashing down, you think you can handle it alone. You try to think you’re strong and resilient. I’m truly sorry and I’m going to get the help I need,” he added.
The darts world is waiting to see what punishment Taylor will receive from the PDC this time. It is almost certain that he will lose 25,000 pounds (less than 700,000 crowns), which he earned in London by winning over Lukasiak.
And for the Welshman Jonny Clayton, against whom Taylor was supposed to play in the second round, the Englishman’s exclusion means free progress among the best 32 players of the WC.
