Fallon Sherrock has made a bit of history for women’s sport by becoming the first female darts player to win a match at the World Championships.
When women were first allowed to compete it felt like a bit of a publicity stunt and a result like Fallon’s was needed otherwise it would have started to look like tokenism.
Nobody can argue if you qualify by right and then win, though.
Hopefully this will become more common in the years ahead and the poor guy who lost to Fallon won’t feel so bad!
There aren’t many sports where we can see an equal game between men and women. Darts is definitely one and snooker and bowls would probably be others.
It will never happen in curling, though.
Yes, there’s mixed doubles but the difference in power for sweeping makes a men v women format a non-starter.
And anyway, women’s curling is doing fine by itself because the viewing figures for our competitions are still higher in Canada than for the men. Long may that continue!
* We didn’t bring a trophy back from our last Grand Slam of 2019 in Canada but it was another decent week.
The first aim is always to get through the round-robin stage and to win three of our four group games was really pleasing.
It took some individual brilliance from Jennifer Jones to knock us out in the quarter-finals.
We would have been three or four up early in the game if it hadn’t been for Jennifer digging them out of a hole.
On her day, she’s still one of the world’s best and she often seems to produce it against us unfortunately. We should take it as a compliment!
Anna Hasselborg picked up another winner’s cheque and there can be no doubting the fact that she will go into 2020 as world number one.
It puts our performance when we nearly beat them for gold in the Euros in context and shows us that we’re not far away from the very top of the sport, which is a great place to be going into the New Year.
* Before I can think about 2020 there is one more event this weekend.
There’s a mixed doubles competition in Aberdeen, which all the podium-funded curlers are taking part in.
Unfortunately that has meant I won’t be able to play with one of my brothers.
I’ve been paired with Bobby Lammie, who is a member of Team Mouat and is one of the best men’s curlers out there, so hopefully we’ll have a good chance of winning.
It will be strange competing against my three team-mates for a change!
As I’ve said in previous columns it’s a totally different type of curling but you still have to make the shots.
Also, British Curling haven’t yet decided whether members of the men’s and women’s teams at the next Olympics will be able to play in the mixed as well, so it’s a door I’d definitely want to keep open.
I certainly wouldn’t see it as a problem.
I wouldn’t see fitness being an issue and two chances to get on the podium are better than one!
