A 16-year-old from Warrington is teetering on the sting of changing into a world darts champion.
Luke Littler might make historical past at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday night time and is already assured £200,000 in prize cash – even when he would not beat new world primary Luke Humphries within the remaining.
Nicknamed “The Nuke”, {the teenager}’s sensational performances have seen him grow to be the youngest participant to succeed in the ultimate and have gained plaudits from his idol Phil “The Power” Taylor.
He swept away darts legend Raymond van Barneveld, a five-time world champion, to safe a spot within the quarter-finals – earlier than beating Northern Ireland’s Brendan Dolan to succeed in the semi-finals.
Littler is now one step away from glory after cruising to victory over 2018 champion Rob Cross within the final 4.
Over the years many different teenage athletes have left us in awe – from Emma Raducanu’s shock US Open win in 2021 to the times of youngster Tom Daley within the 2000s and Pele within the Nineteen Sixties.
Boris Becker
Boris Becker’s lengthy reign as an amazing of worldwide tennis started in 1985 when he was simply 17.
His win on the All England Club that yr noticed him grow to be the youngest participant to win the boys’s singles title in Wimbledon historical past.
He went on to win 49 main titles, together with six grand slams, making it to world primary in 1991.
Becker gained Wimbledon 3 times within the Eighties, in addition to the Australian and US Opens – and an Olympic gold in Barcelona in 1992.
In later years, suffering from monetary and tax worries, he was ultimately given a jail sentence for failing to declare £2.5m in property and was deported to his native Germany on his launch in December 2022.
Wilfred Benitez
Wilfred ‘El Radar’ Benitez turned the youngest world champion in boxing historical past when he beat Antonio Cervantes at simply 17 in March 1976.
He turned professional at 15 and was managed by his father, Gregorio Benitez. He and his brothers Frankie and Gregory have been from one in every of Puerto Rico’s distinguished boxing households, forging their success through New York City.
His 1976 win noticed him declare each the sunshine welterweight and lineal mild welterweight titles.
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Around 10 years later medical doctors found he had suffered neurological harm within the ring and urged him to retire.
Determined to hold on, he was compelled to struggle overseas after being banned from competing by a number of US states.
Today he suffers from dementia and is cared for by members of the family at residence.
Sky Brown
Sky Brown turned Great Britain’s youngest-ever Olympian and medal winner when she took bronze within the ladies’s park skateboarding occasion on the postponed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Despite falling on her first two makes an attempt – she made the third for a spot on the rostrum on the age of simply 13 years and 28 days.
With a British father and Japanese mom, Brown splits her time between Miyazaki and California – however took the choice to compete for Team GB.
Since her Olympic medal, she has gained on the X Games and the park occasion on the 2023 World Skateboarding Championship to grow to be the first-ever British skateboarding world champion.
Her youthful brother Ocean Brown can be a gifted skateboarder.
Tom Daley
Tom Daley started diving aged seven in his hometown of Plymouth and began competing each nationally and internationally aged 9.
He was Team GB’s youngest Olympian on the Beijing Games in 2008, aged 14, however did not safe a medal within the 10m or synchro occasions.
That yr he gained gold on the British and European championships – and secured gold on the world championships the next yr.
He was a so-called ‘poster boy’ for the London 2012 Games, successful bronze within the 10m occasion.
Daley has spoken repeatedly in regards to the pressures of being a younger sports activities star within the public eye.
It wasn’t till the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo that he lastly achieved his profession aim of successful an Olympic gold together with his associate Matty Lee.
Katie Ledecky
Still aged simply 26, American swimmer Katie Ledecky is among the most adorned in historical past.
By the tip of her teenagers, she had 5 Olympic golds and 9 world championship titles to her identify.
Having began swimming aged six, she made her worldwide debut on the London 2012 Olympics at 15 when she stunned spectators and coaches by successful gold within the ladies’s 800m freestyle.
She gained 4 golds, two silvers, and secured two world data when she competed at Rio 2016 4 years later.
Ledecky nonetheless holds numerous world data, reaching her first for the quickest 1,500m freestyle on the Barcelona 2013 World Championships aged 16.
Pele
After a record-breaking profession, Pele was thought to be one of many biggest sportsmen of the twentieth century.
At the age of 15, his coach instructed membership administrators in his native Sao Paolo he would grow to be the “greatest football player in the world”.
A yr later he was the highest scorer in Brazil’s nationwide league, resulting in a call-up from the nationwide group.
At 17 in 1958, he impressed his nation’s World Cup win with a hat-trick within the semi-final and two targets within the remaining.
Ultimately he scored 1,279 targets throughout 1,363 video games, which continues to be a Guinness World Record.
Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu, from Bromley, in south London, first made her identify as a wildcard entry at Wimbledon in June 2021.
At simply 18 she turned the youngest British lady and solely the fourth British teenager within the Open period to make the final 16 of the match.
She impressed together with her defeat over Sorana Cirstea – however needed to retire within the fourth spherical towards Ajla Tomljanovic on account of respiratory issues.
Then ranked a hundred and fiftieth on this planet, she gained her manner into the primary draw of the US Open that autumn.
She turned the primary British lady to succeed in the ultimate since Virginia Wade in 1968 – and did not drop a single set on her solution to successful the match outright.
This noticed her leap 332 locations on this planet rankings from her place firstly of the yr to Number 23.
She gained BBC Sports Personality of the Year that December and has since secured profitable sponsorship offers from Nike, Dior, British Airways and Tiffany & Co.
Ronnie O Sullivan
Nicknamed ‘The Rocket’, Ronnie O’Sullivan turned skilled on the age of 16 in 1992, having gained a match in simply 43 minutes throughout his debut season.
A yr later he turned the youngest ever winner of the UK Snooker Championships when he beat fellow teenager Stephen Hendry. At 19 he had additionally secured a Masters title.
Two years in the past he bookended his profession by changing into the oldest winner of the identical championship he broke the document for at 16.
Characterised by his attacking type and emotional outbursts, O’Sullivan is thought to be one of many biggest snooker gamers of all time.
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar was inspired to take up cricket at 11 as a way of getting out of hassle at college.
Now thought to be one of many biggest batters the game has seen, he broke data for being the youngest participant to debut for India in each Test and one-day worldwide cricket at 16.
He stays the main run scorer in Test and ODI cricket.
He labored as a ball boy throughout the 1987 Cricket World Cup within the semi-final between England and Bombay.
Towards the tip of his teenage years, he made historical past when he was chosen to play for Yorkshire. The prestigious membership aspect had by no means chosen a participant from exterior the county earlier than – not to mention England.
He ascended to the captaincy of the Indian nationwide group and had main success domestically for Mumbai.
Source: information.sky.com”