- Ask Steven
Youth rising on the oche
Was Michael van Gerwen the youngest man to win the world darts championship? asked Kevin Read
Michael van Gerwen, who is only 24, became the youngest winner of the PDC version of the world title when he beat Peter "Snakebite" Wright in the recent final at Alexandra Palace.
But there has been a younger winner of the BDO title (a longer-established but now less-regarded event): Jelle Klaasen was only 21 when he beat yet another Dutchman, Raymond van Barneveld, to win the 2006 tournament.
Eric Bristow was only 22 when he won his first world title in 1980, while Keith Deller was 23 in 1983 - that was also organised by the BDO, before the split which led to the confusing situation of two rival world championships from 1994.
In 2007 van Gerwen became, at 17, the youngest player ever to appear in the BDO world championship.
