The decisions of an independent Regulatory Commission in relation to Houston Dynamo's Duane Holmes and breaches of The FA's Anti-Doping Regulations have been published.
The midfielder provided an out-of-competition urine sample to UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) officials on 15 July 2024 while registered with Preston North End which tested positive for salbutamol. As outlined in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List, salbutamol is always classified as a prohibited substance unless taken by inhalation up to a certain threshold.
Duane Holmes was subsequently charged by The FA for breaches of its Anti-Doping Regulations. He admitted to this, and he also accepted the use of salbutamol and its presence in his system. The player has suffered from asthma since he was a child, and The FA did not contend that these breaches were intentional.
The Regulatory Commission found that Duane Holmes had no significant fault or negligence and that the degree of fault on his part was at the lowest end of the scale. Its written reasons for these decisions can be read below.
