Darter Erik Clarys plays the videocassette of his greatest victory in slow motion.
Jef Van Baelen asks top athletes about their best sports memories.
In 1995 I had been a household name on the international circuit for some time, but I had not yet managed to win a tournament. I came up just short at the decisive moments. That didn’t make me hesitate, on the contrary. The belief grew that sooner or later a day would come when everything would fall my way. But I never thought it would happen at the Winmau World Masters, at the time the most important darts tournament after the World Cup.
Almost thirty years have passed, but when I visit England, time and again there are fans who talk to me about the World Masters. The way it appealed to the imagination. My draw was tough, with only big names. In the first rounds I put aside top players such as Steve Coote, Ted Hankey and Dave Routledge with smooth and dominant darts.
In the quarter-final, semi-final and final I looked into the eyes of the top three in the world: Martin Adams, Andy Fordham and Richie Burnett. It turned out to be no problem: I felt so comfortable on stage.
I finish the final against Burnett with a finish of 116 points. I have a videocassette of the finale that I replayed in slow motion several times to relive what happened there. On my third throw, to the double 18, I turn around triumphantly before the arrow is in the board. I felt that it would be a hit.
My nickname was also created at the World Masters. I had seen how Zefilho, the Brazilian striker for SK Lierse, pretended to shoot pistols when he scored. After my first victory I copied his gesture. Little did I know that I would shoot every match in that tournament, but since then the darts world has known me as The Sheriff.
Upon arrival at the Ostend ferry port, a hundred fans were waiting for me. Darts is now much bigger in Flanders, but even then the journalists knew where to find me. I passed on Sunday Josdag and in The Last Show. Perhaps that is where the foundation was laid for today’s Belgian darts successes, because the current darts players have all seen those images.
