Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Thursday 19 december 2019
Bullseye: Female

darts player breaks

down gender barrier

By STEVE DOUGLAS good statement," Sherrock
AP Sports Writer said. "We can beat the
The widely held image of men."
professional darts on tele- And how her win was cel-
vision screens as a beer- ebrated. After hitting the
fuelled pub game typically winning double to claim a
played by out-of-shape 3-2 victory over Ted Evetts,
men has been shattered she skipped to the board
by the barrier-breaking ex- to collect her darts and
ploits of a young English- turned around to see a
woman. room of mostly inebriated
Amid raucous scenes at men bouncing up and
London's atmospheric Al- down and singing in cel-
exandra Palace, Fallon ebration. Fallon Sherrock and Ted Evetts in action at the PDC Darts World Championship at Alexandra
Sherrock became an un- "We love you Fallon, we Palace, London, Tuesday Dec. 17, 2019.
likely overnight celebrity in do," they chanted, over Associated Press
Britain when she landed a and over again.
double 18 to clinch victory She shook hands with son to a sudden-death leg her appearance. the decision to stop having
over a male opponent at Evetts, who then applaud- in the fifth set before losing. That, plus what she de- walk-on girls lead players to
the sport's flagship event, ed Sherrock and extended Before that, Gayl King of scribed as "constant sexist the oche before matches
the PDC World Champion- his right arm out as if to urge Canada (2000), Anastasia comments" about trying to at darts events "following
ship, on Tuesday. spectators to acclaim Sher- Dobromyslova of Russia make her way as a darts feedback from host broad-
It was a first win by a wom- rock, a one-time profes- (2009, 2018) and Lisa Ash- player, "inspired me to get casters." The Formula One
an on darts' highest stage, sional hairdresser who first ton of England (2018) had better and prove everyone racing series has dispensed
one that trended on Twit- picked up a dart when she played in the main draw, wrong," Sherrock told the with the long-standing tra-
ter and has catapulted the was aged 17. all losing in the first round. BBC. dition of having women on
25-year-old Sherrock into a "I've always had the game," Sherrock went one bet- "Well, I have just proved the grid - known as ''Grid
life she could never have she said Wednesday, "but ter, setting up a second- them wrong," she said. Girls'' - before races, con-
imagined. us women have never had round match against Men- It should deliver a huge fillip sidering it inappropriate
Wednesday morning saw the opportunity to prove it." sur Suljovic, the 11th seed to the women's game. The and outdated.
her appear on some of the Until last year, that is. That from Austria, where she male-dominated sport is Unlike other sports where
biggest TV and radio shows was when the man that is guaranteed to win at slowly starting to embrace physicality is crucial, darts
in Britain. Much to her de- runs top-level darts, pro- least 15,000 pounds (nearly females, with Daniela Ba- is about hand-eye co-
light and surprise, she now moter Barry Hearn, allo- $20,000) even if she loses. ta-Bogdanov of Hungary ordination. So it might just
has a blue tick next to her cated two of the 96 places It is a triumph of persis- becoming the first ever fe- be the cultural and social
name on her Twitter ac- in the world championship tence for Sherrock, who male scoring official at this environment that has pre-
count. The biggest payday field to women. Previously, developed a serious kidney event. She was scoring the vented women from mak-
of her career - by a long women could attempt to condition after giving birth Sherrock-Evetts match on ing names for themselves in
way - awaits her at the qualify for the event but to her son, Rory, five years Tuesday. a game that has a cult fol-
weekend. now spots were guaran- ago. She had to take medi- Leading women's darts lowing in Britain, and is also
Bigger than all that, she teed. cation and one of the side- player Laura Turner is one popular in the Netherlands
is now a trailblazer in the On Monday, Mikuru Suzuki effects was the swelling of of the commentators at and Germany among oth-
game. - the women's world cham- her face, which led to her the world championship. er countries as Hearn sends
"It definitely sends out a pion - took James Richard- receiving abuse online for And last year, officials took darts to new markets.q

U.S. women get 2 early goals,

go ahead 2-0 in Canada series

MONCTON, New Bruns- got a quick pass from Kelly I thought we controlled the
wick (AP) — Abby Roque Pannek through the crease third period. But you've got
and Alex Carpenter scored and easily found the back to be so careful against the
early goals, and the Unit- of the net. Americans. You can't give
ed States women's hock- Canada got on the score- them odd-man rushes and
ey team held on to beat board midway through we did too much of that to-
Canada 2-1 in the second a chippy second period night."
game of their five-game Ri- when Ann-Sophie Bettez The U.S. captured the series
valry Series. deflected the puck past opener 4-1 on Saturday in
Roque found the net 2:43 American goaltender Aerin Hartford, Connecticut.
into the first period on the Frankel. USA Hockey and Hockey
Americans' first shot on "The second period, I Canada established the
Canada's Meghan Agosta (2) and United States' Cayla Barnes goal — beating Canadian thought we got a little mo- Rivalry Series last season
(3) battle for the puck during the second period of a rivalry goaltender Ann-Renee mentum. We got the goal to further showcase the
series women's hockey game in Hartford, Conn., Saturday, Dec. Desbiens stick-side. and the game started to women's national teams.
14, 2019.
Associated Press Carpenter extended the change," Canada coach Canada won the inaugural
lead at 14:09 of the first. She Perry Pearn said. "Certainly series, 2-1.q