INTERVIEW | Weeks of truth dawn for Gabriel Clemens: ''That £100,000 doesn't really worry me''

The weeks of truth await Gabriel Clemens at the Ally Pally this year. After his sensational performance to reach the semifinals of the 2023 World Darts Championship, the "German Giant" must defend £100,000 this year, almost a third of his total prize money in the rankings. The German press, including Dartsnews.de was given the opportunity by PDC Europe to speak to Clemens ahead of the Worlds. Clemens spoke about his World Championship goals, commented on his draw and looked back on a mixed year in 2024.

Of course, the importance of the upcoming World Darts Championship was also a topic of conversation during the media round. "Thanks to the press I get asked about it in every interview," joked Clemens. "But of course that's part of it and doesn't affect me at all. I prepare like every year and try to defend as much prize money as possible. You can't predict what will come out in the end anyway, but that £100,000 doesn't really worry me."

Still, the "German Giant" admits that he did not take full advantage of the momentum of his greatest career success. "I definitely made mistakes. But because the whole situation was completely new to me, that was probably part of it. In the first six months after reaching the semifinals, I neglected my training too much, I have to admit that honestly. I would do that differently now."

Meanwhile, Clemens has ticked off his past mistakes - the anticipation of the upcoming World Championship prevails. "For us darters, the World Championship is the biggest tournament. You have to prepare for it all year and fight to qualify. If you succeed, it's always a highlight." Clemens has been a regular at the PDC World Championship since 2018. Besides his unforgettable performance in the semifinals two years ago, Clemens has other special memories of the Ally Pally, including his sensational win over Peter Wright in 2020. "The tournament is just something special. I also like the World Championship because of the set mode, which suits me very well. I just love playing at the Ally Pally," Clemens said.

The darter from Saarland is looking to add a new chapter to his memories in London on December 19. To kick off this year's World Championship, Clemens will face the winner of the match between Niels Zonneveld and Robert Owen. "Both are good players who also play in a comfortable rhythm because they don't throw too fast or too slow. In general, I don't stress too much about who my opponent will be. I have to concentrate on myself and play a good match," Clemens said.

Asked about his goals, Clemens is also his usual calm self. "At the World Championships, you always have to look from match to match. After the second round there is a longer Christmas break, then it feels like a new tournament. My main goal is to play a good first match, because then you have the best chance to win."

Because of its importance to the rankings, the world championship can save a player's entire season. Although Clemens was in stronger form in the second half of the season and did good business with an eye on next year's majors, overall the German had a volatile 12 months. "There were good things, but also bad things. Overall, it felt a bit like a roller coaster ride. Still, I'm not at all dissatisfied with my performance. In the end, I wasn't much worse than in previous years, but I missed the right timing here and there," Clemens summarized.

Proper timing will also be necessary in planning his trip to the world championships. Clemens will travel to England by plane two days before his first-round appearance to avoid tensions. "I will definitely travel back home on December 20 so I can celebrate Christmas with my family. During the pandemic I spent Christmas Eve in a hotel twice, so it's nice to be able to celebrate Christmas with the family," explained the 41-year-old.

Until then, Clemens is spending most of his free time preparing for the World Championship. In addition to four to five daily training sessions on the practice field, Clemens will visit the Olympic Training Center in Saarbrücken to physically prepare for the duels in the Ally Pally. An important element for the "German Giant," who is often compared to a javelin thrower in the German community because of his impressive dart set-up. "It's mainly about the angle of the board. The dart boards on tour are relatively soft and therefore you see more and more long points. This gives you a little more space in the triple segment."