When a German World Cup dream shattered
The greatest moment became a bitter disappointment
Updated on December 9, 2025 – 4:29 p.mReading time: 3 minutes
In a few days Gabriel Clemens will compete again at the Darts World Cup. Three years ago he experienced his greatest moment there, which ultimately ended bitterly.
The darts world is once again looking forward to the World Cup, which starts like every year in mid-December in the legendary Alexandra Palace in London. Among the participants is Gabriel Clemens, a player who has shaped the German darts sport in recent years. Because three years ago the “German Giant” celebrated a historic milestone.
Clemens was the first German to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup. This success made him the face of the darts hype in Germany overnight – but in the end, the euphoria was also mixed with bitter disappointment.
January 2, 2023 marked the biggest moment in Clemens’ career so far – and at the same time one of his hardest defeats. In the semi-finals, the Saarlander met the Englishman Michael Smith, who would later become world champion. The fans celebrated Clemens as he marched in with loud chants of “Oh, Gabriel Clemens.” The atmosphere was electric, but on stage it became a one-sided game.
Smith impressed from the start with his precision and a record number of 19 180s. Clemens fought back, took advantage of a weak phase for the Englishman in the second set and in the meantime equalized to 1:1 after sets. But as the game continued, Smith made it clear why he is one of the best players in the world. With quick breaks and consistently high scores, he pulled away from Clemens. After a dominant performance, the final result was clear: 6:2 for Smith.
Despite the defeat, Clemens remained fair. He later wrote on Instagram that Smith played “a class better” and therefore “absolutely deserved to win”. Despite the disappointment, he was satisfied with his own performance and grateful for what he had experienced: “Thank you very much for everything I have been able to experience over the last 14 days.”
Nevertheless: Clemens made history by reaching the semi-finals in 2023, which he made perfect with a 5-1 win in the quarter-finals against Gerwyn Price. No German player had ever made it this far at a World Darts Championship. He also set records on a personal level: his eleven 180s in a World Cup match remain unmatched among German professionals. Reaching the semi-finals catapulted Clemens to 19th place in the world rankings – no German darts player had ever been ranked this high.
His success also led to a hype surrounding dart throwing in Germany. Darts, previously a fringe sport, moved further into the spotlight.