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In the end, “The Iceman” showed some nerves. Gerwyn Price missed eleven attempts, eleven darts in straight sets, before the twelfth arrow was finally on the double 5 and a 7-3 success against Gary Anderson at Alexandra Palace in London was sure. The Sid Waddell Trophy, £ 500,000 in prizes and the position as the new number one in the world rankings earned him this double field, with which you have to finish each stage from 501 to zero. “I have never felt so much pressure in my life,” the Welshman said in a television interview after the game. “Even before the game, I was more nervous than ever.”
Until the comfortable 5: 1 lead, Price didn’t let it show. In his first World Cup final he dominated the game from the third set onwards, after six sets he had a 73 percent hit rate in doubles; something around 50 percent is considered world class. He hit his favorite double »Tops« (double 20) in the first 13 attempts each time.
In the sixth set, Price just missed the perfect game, a nine darts. With an average of 136.64 points per three darts, it was nevertheless the best set in the history of the World Cup.
Anderson, on the other hand, played well, but couldn’t build on his previous performances. In particular, the outer rings did not race for the 2015 and 2016 world champions in their fifth World Cup final. In the end, just under every fourth dart was in doubles.
The chances in darts are better than in rugby
For Price, the world title is the culmination of his second career as a professional athlete. “I think every day I can become number one in the world as a world champion,” Price had said after his round of 16 victory over Mervyn King.
Seven years ago, Welsh darts player Barrie Bates advised his compatriot Price to give it a go as a professional. He believed in the potential of the 35-year-old. Price won the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tour card in January 2014 and gave up his career as a professional rugby player to “get the money out of his pocket,” as Price likes to say.
Back then in January 2014, Michael van Gerwen had just become the new world number one after his first world championship title, and he remained so until Price’s title. The Dutchman was number one for seven years, with at least six of them undisputed as the best player in the world.
An important factor in success: no more scandals
Price won more tournaments on the pro tour than anyone else in the 2020 season. And at the last World Cup he was also the best player for a long time. But in an emotionally charged semi-final against eventual world champion Peter Wright, which ended without a handshake, Price was unable to keep up with previous games.
A year later it was mainly difficult situations in which Price showed his entire class. They won three of their six games in the deciding set, two of them even in the deciding stretch. Aside from the wobbles towards the end of his first World Cup final, Price had shown impressive nerve strength.
“From the way I’ve played all year, I think I deserve to have that trophy and be number one,” Price said after his win.
An important factor for success: Price now controls himself. Two years ago there was an uproar at the World Grand Prix final between Price and Anderson. Price repeatedly celebrated good throws in the direction of his opponent instead of, as usual, taking the darts off the board immediately after the throw. Anderson even got carried away with a little push from Price. Price won the game, but received a record PDC fine plus a three-month suspended game as a penalty for his behavior.
“I will be calm, he strong,” Anderson had replied before the World Cup final when asked what kind of game he expected against Price.
But that did not happen. Price seemed calm and highly focused for long periods of the game, only rarely did he erupt with cheers. In the past, his outbursts might have been for the purpose of swaying the opponent as well, but now he only seems to scream excess energy to regain the necessary calm on the board.
In his seven years at PDC, the results improved every year. If Price can keep this development steady, he could dominate the world of darts in a similar way to Van Gerwen or Phil Taylor before him.
However, he doesn’t want to play as much as Taylor. No later than 50 should have ended for him, as he said. So you want to enjoy your life somewhere in the sun.
And perhaps your time as a professional darts player is much shorter. In an interview with Die Welt, Price said that he believed he could play pool well enough to succeed as a professional. Then it would be his third career in professional sports.
