Michael van Gerwen's alarming slump shows no sign of easing, and now two of the Netherlands' most decorated Olympians have weighed in on the crisis. The three-time world champion was dumped out in the first round of the European Darts Championship in Dortmund on Friday evening, losing 6-3 to fellow Dutchman Kevin Doets, who was making his debut at the event. The defeat confirmed Van Gerwen's exit from the world's top ten for the first time since 2012.
Former top hockey players Ellen Hoog and Naomi van As, both Olympic champions, discussed Van Gerwen's plight on their podcast. "It just isn't happening for him. So what now?" Hoog asked. She added: "Of course, people are still making excuses for him, because nobody will bring it up if he has a good World Championship. But this was the first round of the European Championship. He was out straight away. And now, which is obviously quite painful, he has also dropped out of the world's top ten. He is now even provisionally down to 13th. He will head into the World Championship in December with very little confidence."
The rankings make grim reading for the Dutchman. Van Gerwen currently sits 13th and remains among the world's top 16 for now, but his position is far from secure. On the provisional rankings for after the next World Championship, he is as low as 20th, and based on results from the past 12 months, he is only 25th. Van As said: "You're thinking now: can it get any worse? Would it bother him to be 13th? I don't know. He had been in the top ten since 2012." She added: "He needs a kick up the backside. But that's always easier said than done. We don't know what's going on in his head. Of course, we'd love to see him get a bit of a lift."
Despite the gloom, there is belief within Van Gerwen's inner circle that he can turn things around. Close friend Vincent van der Voort expects the three-time world champion to return to form at the World Darts Championship, which starts in six weeks. Van As hopes that prediction proves correct, stressing that the mental side of darts should not be underestimated. "Vincent van der Voort says he'll be ready for the upcoming World Championship. Then everything can change again. They're close friends, of course, and he has a lot of faith in him. I think that's lovely," she concluded.
