Trina Gulliver is one of the most distinguished darts players in the history of the women’s game, notching 10 world titles in her 23-year career.
She has been a constant presence at the top of the world rankings since making her first appearance in the sport in 1994 and displays no signs of abating any time in the near future, despite the rise of the Netherlands’ Aileen de Graaf.
There are parallels between Gulliver and her compatriot Phil ‘the power’ Taylor in the men’s game. Like Gulliver, Taylor has dominated the sport, although recently he has seen his grip on top spot slip, allowing Dutchman Michael van Gerwen to make an impact on the world stage.
The 56-year-old was unable to reach the final of the World Championship earlier this year as he was beaten in the last eight by his old foe Raymond van Barneveld, who himself was then beaten by his compatriot in the semis before Van Gerwen put in a fine performance to beat Gary Anderson in the final.
As a result, the path for Taylor’s return to the top of the post is a challenging one due to the high level of competition.
However, he has made a strong start to the Premier League campaign, topping the table after his opening five matches. This suggests that he could clinch his 15th world title and first since 2013 in next year’s competition, with the latest darts betting odds backing him at 12/1 to win the crown.
Due his greatness it would not be a surprise to see him return to the top. The same can be said for Gulliver, who saw her grip on the women’s world title slip at Lakeside.
The 47-year-old dominated the competition during the 00s, winning the crown seven years on the spin. Gulliver endured a two-year drought in 2008 and 2009 before bouncing back with force triumphing with back-to-back titles.
Compatriot Lisa Ashton and Anastasia Dobromyslova kick started another drought, but on this occasion, Gulliver was thwarted for five years rather than two. However, her resilience and quality were once again highlighted in a spirited run to the final in 2016, denying Deta Hedman her first title in a thrilling contest, which she narrowly edged by a 3-2 score line.
The 47-year-old later rubbed salt into the wounds of Hedman by defeating her in the final of the Masters Championship at the end of 2016. The victory gave Gulliver plenty of confidence heading into the defence of the world crown. She brushed aside unseeded Claire Brooklin with ease but was then dispatched from the tournament by an impressive performance from De Graaf.
Although Ashton went on to win the title, it’s the presence of De Graaf that could cause problems down the road for Gulliver and her desperate attempt to add further accolades.
The parallels between her and Taylor are strong– two legends of the sport attempting to further enhance their legacies by adding more trophies to their collections. However, younger talent from the Netherlands stands in their way.
Both have the ability to prove victorious, but it will take all of their brilliance along with strong character to make it a reality.
1 |
2001 |
Trina Gulliver MBE | beat | Mandy Solomonds | 2 | - |
1 |
2 |
2002 |
Trina Gulliver MBE | beat | Francis Hoenselaar | 2 | - |
1 |
3 |
2003 |
Trina Gulliver MBE | beat | Ann Kirk | 2 | - |
0 |
4 |
2004 |
Trina Gulliver MBE | beat | Francis Hoenselaar | 2 | - |
0 |
5 |
2005 |
Trina Gulliver MBE | beat | Francis Hoenselaar | 2 | - |
0 |
6 |
2006 |
Trina Gulliver MBE | beat | Francis Hoenselaar | 2 | - |
0 |
7 |
2007 |
Trina Gulliver MBE | beat | Francis Hoenselaar | 2 | - |
1 |
8 |
2010 |
Trina Gulliver MBE | beat | Rhian Edwards | 2 | - |
0 |
9 |
2011 |
Trina Gulliver MBE | beat | Rhian Edwards | 2 | - |
0 |
10 |
2016 |
Trina Gulliver MBE | beat | Deta Headman | 3 | - |
2 |
1 |
1990 |
Phil Taylor | beat | Eric Bristow MBE | 6 | - |
1 |
2 |
1992 |
Phil Taylor | beat | Mike Gregory | 6 | - |
5 |
3 |
1995 |
Phil Taylor | beat | Rod Harrington | 6 | - |
2 |
4 |
1996 |
Phil Taylor | beat | Dennis Priestley | 6 | - |
4 |
5 |
1997 |
Phil Taylor | beat | Dennis Priestley | 6 | - |
3 |
6 |
1998 |
Phil Taylor | beat | Dennis Priestley | 6 | - |
0 |
7 |
1999 |
Phil Taylor | beat | Peter Manley | 6 | - |
2 |
8 |
2000 |
Phil Taylor | beat | Dennis Priestley | 7 | - |
3 |
9 |
2001 |
Phil Taylor | beat | John Part | 7 | - |
0 |
10 |
2002 |
Phil Taylor | beat | Peter Manley | 7 | - |
0 |
11 |
2004 |
Phil Taylor | beat | Kevin Painter | 7 | - |
6 |
12 |
2005 |
Phil Taylor | beat | Mark Dudbridge | 7 | - |
4 |
13 |
2006 |
Phil Taylor | beat | Peter Manley | 7 | - |
0 |
14 |
2009 |
Phil Taylor | beat | Raymond van Barneveld | 7 | - |
1 |
15 |
2010 |
Phil Taylor | beat | Simon Whitlock | 7 | - |
3 |
16 |
2013 |
Phil Taylor | beat | Michael van Gerwen | 7 | - |
4 |
