Michael Smith’s win against Michael van Gerwen is one of the greatest things we’ve ever seen
The World Darts Championships concluded on Tuesday in what can only be described as one of the greatest games in history, with Englishman Michael Smith lifting his first-ever world title.
Facing up against three-time PDC World Champion Michael van Gerwen, Smith was considered by many as the underdog, having come agonisingly close in 2022 only to fall at the final hurdle.
However, the 32-year-old managed to go that one step further and finally achieve his dream, describing the winning dart as “the greatest sporting moment of my life”.
More accurately, one now legendary piece of play within the match is not only being widely considered as ‘the greatest leg in the history of darts’ but one of the best things you’ll ever see in sport full stop.
Absolute hair-raising stuff.
Kicking off the third leg in just the second set, each having won one a piece, both MvG and ‘The Bully Boy’ looked to be on for nine-darters, throwing thick and fast with neither one seemingly blinking — or at least it seemed that way before the Dutchman fluffed his double 12 to seal the leg.
With all the pressure then on Smith, not to mention a record of eight previous losses in finals looming over him, he managed to pull off an incredible nine-dart finish to pull ahead and take charge. Winning that first major in the 2022 Grand Slam back in November seems to have helped him turn a corner.
The reactions from commentators Stuart Pyke and Wayne Mardle, in particular, have already gone viral as they pretty much encapsulated how every watching inside Ally Pally and at home were feeling in the now iconic moment.
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Yep, that’s certainly the greatest leg of darts we’ve ever seen.
Now fully in the swing of things but still battling what he says is still “the best player in darts”, the St. Helens native began to pull ahead as the crowd started to sing “darts is coming home”.
Smith ultimately went on to lift his maiden PDC World title with a convincing 7-4 victory, cutting an understandably emotional figure up on the oche.
Here’s how he did it. Try not to well up when he runs to his kids.
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Featured Image — PDC Darts (via Twitter)/ Michael Smith (via Instagram)