The upcoming edition of the European Championship will be the 16th edition in the tournament's history. During previous years, four players managed to throw a nine-darter at the European Championship.
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Those nine darters fell during the 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2020 editions. Perhaps that bodes well for a perfect lay during this week's European Championship 2023 in Dortmund. Dartsnews takes you through the nine darters previously thrown during this event.
Adrian Lewis (2011)
This nine darter by Adrian Lewis is considered one of the fastest nine darters of all time. Rarely did a perfect leg look so carelessly easy. Lewis seemed to indicate that to the audience afterwards. Like; I'll just shake this one out of my sleeve for you.
Michael van Gerwen (2014)
The 2014 edition marked the start of Michael van Gerwen's four-year hegemony at the European Darts Championship. After throwing an average of 111 in his quarterfinal against Dave Chisnall, 'Mighty Mike' came up with another highlight in the semifinal against Raymond van Barneveld.
Van Gerwen was facing a 2-4 deficit at that point. The darter from Vlijmen started the seventh leg with a 177 and then left a finish of 144 with a 180. Via two times triple 20 and double 12 he threw his perfect leg. It also brought Van Gerwen right back into the match and he would eventually win this match 11-6.
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Kyle Anderson (2017)
At the 2017 European Darts Championship, Kyle Anderson showed his sheer class by throwing a nine-darter in his semifinal against Michael van Gerwen. Two 180 scores and a 141 finish formed the route towards this perfect leg.
After throwing this nine darter, Anderson could hope to reach a major final. 'The Original', however, left two match darts unused to keep Van Gerwen out of the final.
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Jose de Sousa (2020)
The year 2020 was the year of Jose de Sousa. Having already won two Players Championship tournaments in 2019, he won a Euro Tour title and a major title in 2020.
However, the list is not complete without a nine darter, and he threw one at the 2020 European Darts Championship. In his first-round match against Jeffrey de Zwaan, he started the second leg with scores of 180 and 177. 'The Special One' did not miscalculate and then threw a 144 finish to throw his first TV nine darter.
Kieran WoodDarts Journalist
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.
A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.
He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.
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- He produced some impressive numbers in that qualifying campaign. I'm excited to see him compete at the World Championship once again, even if it will be difficult to replicate last year's success even with an improved performance, with the draw playing a huge role in determining his fortunes.Deduce635811-11-2026
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- Good, absolutely no loss if we never see this dancing goof ever again......no that is not fair. He absolutely cannot and has never been remotely able to dance!richieburnettrocks10-11-2026
- Yes Phil,now the money in the game is bigger than ever,you'd play littler. Well so would I! Retire on your memory Phil,and your successful careerrick6709-11-2026
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
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- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026