Raising the bar: how Michael van Gerwen made history at the World Darts Championship

Michael van Gerwen has slipped to fourth in the world rankings after a lean spell. Yet the 36-year-old Dutchman remains a force to be reckoned with. Especially when we look back at everything he has shown he can do.

It has been a while since Van Gerwen lifted a major title, and recently his good friend Vincent van der Voort even questioned his nights out. In the history of modern darts, however, few players have made as overwhelming an impact as Michael van Gerwen did during his peak years. Especially on the biggest stage of all, the World Darts Championship, the Dutchman displayed a level of dominance rarely seen.

One statistic that perfectly sums up that supremacy is his streak of 19 consecutive matches averaging over 100 at the Worlds. Not only is that total unmatched, it was also achieved across four different editions of the tournament. That underlines how consistently Van Gerwen performed at the highest level, year after year, under the greatest pressure.

Remarkably, this historic run began almost immediately after he averaged 99.03 in December 2015 against René Eidams. While that would be an excellent display for most players, for Van Gerwen it proved the launchpad for a remarkable surge. From that moment, he shifted up a gear and looked almost untouchable.

During this spell he also captured two of his three world titles, further cementing his status among the absolute elite. What made Van Gerwen so special in this phase was not only his scoring power, but also his ruthless efficiency on the doubles.

Opponents rarely had a chance to settle; matches were often decided before they had truly started.

The impressive streak eventually ended in December 2019, when Van Gerwen averaged a mere 96.28 in his second-round match against Jelle Klaasen. A number that counts as elite level for almost any other player, but in Van Gerwen’s case marked the end of a historic record.

Van Gerwen’s peak is often compared to Phil Taylor’s dominance. While Taylor ruled an era with his titles and consistency, Van Gerwen took the game to new heights with unprecedented scoring runs. His World Championship performances remain a benchmark for what is possible in darts.