Michael Smith’s perfect nine-darter to win the world championship was one of the best sporting moments of last year. He says it will never happen again.
Smith became a viral cult hero when he beat three-time champion Michael van Gerwen in the PDC World Championship final by knocking over the 501 score in only nine darts.
As Smith and van Gerwen entered the third leg of the second set, magic unfolded on the stage.
Van Gerwen got things underway with three triple 20s, Smith answered immediately with three triple 20s of his own.
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It was then van Gerwen’s time again and he rolled out two triple 20s and a triple 19 to drop to 144, Smith hit back with three more triple 20s.
Van Gerwen stepped to the line needing two triple 20s and a double 12 but it wasn’t to be for as his third dart missed the mark by mere millimetres.
Over to Smith it went. Needing a triple 20, triple 19 and double 12, the Englishman made no mistake as he nailed all three darts and saluted the crowd with fist pump.
The commentators went nuts, the crowd took the roof off and social media went into meltdown as the clip spread like wildfire through the internet.
It made Smith a global sensation and sent the popularity of darts to another stratosphere.
“Back home has been hectic. I literally can’t walk the streets and stuff,” Smith told news.com.au.
“A lot more interviews, more media, a lot more everything. It’s been really busy but I’d do it again in a heartbeat to get another world title.
“I think that nine darts alone sent the sport even more global — just the views and the amount of people talking about it. I woke up the next morning and I was on Shaquille O’Neal’s NBA show, I was the first darts player on BBC Breakfast. It was ridiculous.”
He’s as motivated as ever to win another world title and prove he’s not a one-hit wonder.
“I’ve always said I wouldn’t be greedy,” he said.
“But now I’ve got one, I’ve still got a lot of time left I want to get multiple now.
“Even darts people, they only the remember the people with two, three, four or five. You get three or four and people start remembering and you leave a good legacy behind.”
Smith’s nine-darter was the rarest type of sporting perfection and while he’s still aiming high, the World No. 1 believes we’ll never see a game of darts like that again.
“I don’t think that would ever happen again,” Smith said.
“For Michael van Gerwen to miss double 12, then for me to hit the double 12 and a nine-darter, that’s perfection. If Michael had hit the double 12 I’d never got my shot. I don’t think it’d happen again. Maybe four 180s, but no.”
Smith is as down to earth as they get — something he says fans can relate to.
“I’ll talk to a brick wall if it listens,” he said.
“I treat people with respect. I don’t go over the top on stage and I think people relate to that. “I’m just a normal person doing my job going about my business.”
Push for darts to be in the Olympics
Smith’s nine-darter kickstarted a push for darts to be added to the program of Olympic sports.
Climbing, skateboarding and surfing made their debut at Tokyo and breakdancing will at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
So why not darts? Smith’s nine-darter would have been even more euphoric if an Olympic gold medal was on the line.
Asked if he would like to see his sport at the Olympics, Smith said: “Yeah of course I would! I started bring it up more last year that I want it to be in there.
“Darts is not just a sport you can just pick up and do. There’s a walking race (at the Olympics). Anyone can walk. That’s something everyone can do. I could go out and swim 50m in 70 seconds. Not everyone can do this sport.
“We’re out-attending football and football’s in the Olympics. Our attendance is up there — it’d earn a lot of money for the Olympic committee. I think it’d be a great addition.
“I truly believe it should be there. If we keep pushing and pushing then maybe. There’s different sports coming in now and hopefully we can get there one day.
“If someone does campaign for it properly, that’s a great advertisement, that nine-darter.”
The 31-year-old said the common misconception is any old bloke at the pub could be good at darts if they put their mind to it.
“People just think you’re in the pub, get drunk and that’s all that darts is,” Smith said.
“I didn’t become No. 1 in the world by some rubbish. I had to work hard, train hard.
“I’d challenge anyone to have a year or two solid practice, come back and play me or any of the boys on tour. You still wouldn’t win. It’s not something that you can work on and work on.
“I think you have to be born with it. You have to be naturally gifted. Stick to the keyboards and we’ll stick to playing darts.”
Smith is in Australia for this weekend’s NSW Darts Masters in Wollongong, which you can watch on Kayo Sports from Friday to Sunday.
It comes as the Foxtel Group announced a new multi-year rights extension with Matchroom – a global leader in sports promotion and production.
The continued partnership brings some of the most entertaining sports events, including the World Darts Championship, to the Foxtel Group’s millions of sports subscribers.
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