The night that changed Michael Smith’s world forever will live long in the memory for more than just the man himself. But the time for reminiscing is almost at an end just under a year since the dartist’s world championship dreams came true in the palace of tungsten theatrics.
Smith, touted as a future champion since he arrived on the scene more than a decade ago, had spent his career chasing the prize all 96 men and women arriving at Alexandra Palace in the coming days crave before his unforgettable victory over Michael van Gerwen in the final of last year’s event in January. It included what many consider to be the greatest leg in the sport’s history, when Smith hit a nine-dart finish seconds after Van Gerwen had wired double 12 to do exactly the same.
