CNN
—
Teenage phenomenon Luke Littler became the youngest ever darts world champion on Friday when he swept past three-time winner Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in the final.
Despite still being just 17, Littler entered this year’s PDC World Darts Championship as both the odds-on favorite and as a star who has transcended the sport after his unexpected run to the final last year.
A raucous crowd packed into London’s Alexandra Palace serenaded him with chants like “Walking in a Littler Wonderland,” but such pressures and expectations didn’t seem to affect Littler’s play.
He quickly built up a 4-0 lead and, though Van Gerwen came back to win three sets, the 35-year-old Dutchman, who was previously the youngest ever world champion aged 24, never really seemed able to challenge him.
Eventually, Littler finished with an average score of 102.73 against Van Gerwen’s 100.69 and hit 12 180s – the maximum score in a single turn – compared to his opponent’s 13.
“I can’t believe it, honestly, I can’t believe it,” he told Sky Sports immediately after his win, his voice almost drowned out by the crowd chanting behind him.
“We both played so well. I said in interviews I needed to get off to a quick start tonight and that’s what I done. … Everyone dreams of winning this trophy, but you’ve got to get through a tough field even before qualifying, I can’t believe it.”
In the time since Littler rose to fame last year, he has become a household name in his native UK, his age, candor in interviews and matter-of-factness endearing him to the British public. Even the country’s prime minister Keir Starmer congratulated him on “an inspirational performance under such pressure to lift the trophy.”
Such is his fame that darts itself has exploded in popularity, but afterwards he refused to say whether he was now the best player in the world.
“I won’t say I’m the best, maybe stats wise I might be the best, but I’ll never say it,” he told reporters.
For his opponent Van Gerwen, however, Littler is a generational talent. “Every chance he got to hurt me, he did. I sometimes say, ‘Every 17 years a star is born,’ and he’s one of them,” he told Sky Sports.
Luke Littler: Teenage sensation becomes darts’ youngest ever world champion
At just 17 years old, Luke Littler has made history by becoming the youngest ever world champion in the world of darts. The talented teenager has taken the darts world by storm with his incredible skill and determination on the oche.
Littler’s rise to the top of the darts world has been nothing short of meteoric. From a young age, he showed a natural talent for the game and quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the sport’s most promising young players.
In the final match of the world championship, Littler faced off against a seasoned veteran of the sport. Despite the pressure of the moment, the young prodigy kept his cool and delivered a flawless performance, hitting triple after triple with precision and accuracy.
With his victory, Littler has not only etched his name into the history books as the youngest ever world champion, but he has also solidified his place as one of the brightest young stars in the world of darts.
As Littler celebrates his historic win, fans and fellow players alike are left in awe of his incredible talent and potential. With his whole career ahead of him, there is no doubt that Luke Littler will continue to make waves in the world of darts for years to come.
Tags:
- Luke Littler
- Teenage sensation
- Darts
- Youngest world champion
- World champion
- Darts prodigy
- Luke Littler achievements
- Darts champion
- Luke Littler success story
- Rising star in darts
#Luke #Littler #Teenage #sensation #darts #youngest #world #champion
Leave a Reply