World Darts Championship: Price's journey to hitting peak form

From missing out on the Grand Slam to early exits at the Players Championship and the European Championship, it has been a testing end to an often frustrating 2024 for Gerwyn Price.

But disappointment has afforded the 39-year-old unexpected time to take stock - and, perhaps crucially, gain clarity.

"It's been different just being at home," the former world champion told BBC Sport Wales.

"I've been going to tournaments not really wanting to be there. Being home, missing the Grand Slam, I had the best part of three weeks off before I played in the Players Championship finals.

"Since then all I've done is be on the board and got myself ready for the World Championship.

"I think I've played in six exhibitions, and got to four or five finals so it's been really good for me in boosting my confidence, and getting my game back to where it should be.

"I think I'm playing some of the best darts I've ever played."

The Welshman's calendar year so far still includes Nordic Darts Masters and Australian Darts Masters titles - the latter of which featured an 8-1 demolition job of teenage sensation Luke Littler in the final.

But the more recent pain - particularly his absence from the Grand Slam, a tournament Price has won three times - was ultimately bittersweet thanks to wife, Beth, and his daughters Emily and Bethany.

"We got married just before the Grand Slam in 2018 and every year obviously anniversaries come around but I was always in the Grand Slam, so it's been a bittersweet moment this year," he added.

"Obviously I wanted to play in the Grand Slam, that never happened but then I get to spend time with my family, my wife.

"My daughter's just had her 14th birthday, my other daughter her 18th, and I got to celebrate my anniversary, which I haven't done since 2018."

The rare luxury of being around his loved ones helped to reinvigorate a player who has won 12 televised titles since quitting rugby to turn his hand to darts full-time in 2014.

Recent exhibitions have provided solace for Price - who has enjoyed practising with close friend and former player Barrie Bates, the man who persuaded Price to earn his tour card little more than a decade ago.

It has culminated in the ex-Neath, Cross Keys and Glasgow Warriors hooker feeling he can be the man to beat once again at the World Darts Championship - with Price facing either Keane Barry or Kim Huybrechts in the second round on Monday night.

"People say I've played bad this year, I haven't played bad this year, I've just had bad results, and the swing of things hasn't gone my way," he explained.

"I just kept rolling and rolling, saying everything will click and things will come and people can't keep doing what they're doing against me, but they just did.

"That's testament to the sport and the players playing a lot better around me.

"I'm easy to beat when I'm not playing at my best, but beat me at my best? I think I'm back to my best.

"I've been playing really well in exhibitions, I've been practising with my mate Barrie Bates.

"There's no reason why I can't win. If I play anywhere near the way I have the last two weeks then nobody beats me."

Price is one of six Welshmen involved in this year's showpiece at Alexandra Palace - with Jonny Clayton, Jim Williams, Rob Owen, Nick Kenny and Rhys Griffin also competing in London.

And while darts has enjoyed a meteoric rise in Wales over recent years - with Price and Clayton clinching World Cup wins together in 2020 and 2023 - the Markham product is confident the production line will only increase in the future, thanks in part to work he does with local players in his hometown.

"The likes of Rob Owen and Nick Kenny, they're all getting better, and Jim Williams, I think he's been playing really well this year," explained Price.

"Similar to me, he's been playing fantastic but just coming up against it.

"I'm sure there's a lot more Welsh young talent coming through.

"I know there's a couple of youngsters in the academy which I helped set up that are going to be coming through to play in the JDC (Junior Darts Corporation).

"It started off with small numbers but I'm sure they have about 80 or 90 now.

"Fingers crossed in the next couple of years, there'll be a couple more boys coming through."