Luke Littler of England holds the trophy after successful the ultimate in opposition to Michael van Gerwen of the Netherlands on the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in London, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photograph/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Luke Littler grew to become the youngest world champion in darts historical past on Friday when the 17-year-old Englishman lived as much as his billing as Britain’s newest sporting celebrity.
Littler beat three-time champion Michael van Gerwen 7-3 within the closing at a boisterous Alexandra Palace in London.
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“Everybody goals of lifting this trophy,” mentioned Littler, who additionally took the winner’s test of 500,000 kilos ($620,000). “I can’t imagine it.”
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It completes the outstanding rise of Littler, a prodigy from Warrington in northwest England who first threw a dart as an 18-month-old toddler, was junior world champion in 2023 and reached the world closing final 12 months — at age 16 — earlier than dropping to top-ranked Luke Humphries.
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That catapulted him to stardom, making him well-known far past darts whereas lifting the game into the mainstream like in its heyday within the Nineteen Eighties.
Littler dealt with the large strain and expectation on him to return to the ultimate 12 months later and powered 4-0 up in units in opposition to Van Gerwen, a darts phenom himself as a teenager and with world titles in 2014, ‘17 and ’19.
The Dutchman made it 4-1, 5-2 and 6-3, however Littler couldn’t be stopped and he was lowered to tears after he made the successful double.
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“Wow, wow, wow,” he may very well be seen saying.
“At 2-0 up, I began getting nervous,” Littler mentioned later, “however I mentioned to myself, ‘Loosen up.’ To get it over and achieved with is particular.”
Van Gerwen was beforehand the youngest world champion within the elite Skilled Darts Company competitors, successful the 2014 closing at age 24. Jelle Klaasen gained the now-defunct British Darts Organisation world title in 2006 at age 21.
Van Gerwen mentioned dropping his file “harm” however was stuffed with reward for Littler.
“Each 17 years a star will get born,” Van Gerwen mentioned, “and he’s one among them.”
Many had been already questioning if Littler can attain Phil Taylor’s outstanding file of 16 world titles. Claiming a primary title at age 17 will now super-charge that dialog.
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“Luke Littler was cast right into a winner, not only a nice dart thrower,” John Half, a three-time world champion from Canada, advised The Related Press forward of the world championship about Littler difficult Taylor’s 16. “He was the perfect at every age degree he has gone by, so conscious of how you can win and he’s so snug with it. He doesn’t really feel strain in any respect.”