British Pentathlon

British Pentathlon
Tournament information
VenueVarious
CountryEngland England
Established1975
Organisation(s)BDO (until 2020), WDF, unranked

The British Pentathlon is a professional darts event consisting of five different disciplines. It was first established in 1975, run by the British Darts Organisation and subsequently the World Darts Federation.[1] A women's event was established in 2004.

The event is invitational and has twenty competitors. Martin Adams has won it 13 times and John Lowe won it ten times. The women's event has been won eight times by Trina Gulliver. Other multiple winners include Eric Bristow, Phil Taylor, John Walton and Andy Fordham.

Format

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The Pentathlon has a unique format among darts events. Competitors play 24 games of darts over the course of the day: a two-legged 501 match against each of the other players (a total of 19 matches), single legs from 1001 and 2001, then games of halve-it, Shanghai and round the board on doubles. Points are awarded based on performances in each of the events. The champion is the player who accumulates the highest number of points.

The Pentathlon has been described as "the toughest and most gruelling darts event on the calendar," whose aim is "to reduce luck to a minimum and ensure that talent, skill and determination are rewarded with success."[2] Trina Gulliver called it "probably the most difficult darts competition ever."[3] Bobby George described it as "like darts' version of Superstars without any cycling, shooting or swimming." He also thought it a "ridiculous event", which "had no appeal to me whatsoever", and "one long, hard, boring slog".[4] John Lowe, on the other hand, enjoyed the event, but eventually stopped playing in it because the prizemoney hadn't increased in years.[5]

Gameplay

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The exact rules can vary across events. In the British pentathlon, the rules are as follows:[6]

  • Each invited player plays each other over two legs from the standard 501 start. Points are awarded for high scoring visits, for completing the leg within a set number of darts, and for winning the leg.
  • Each player plays a single leg of darts starting from both 1001 and 2001. Points are awarded for high scoring visits and there are bonus points for completing the leg within a set number of darts.
  • Shanghai - The player throws three darts at each segment from 1 through 9. One point is awarded for hitting the correct single number, two for the double and three for the treble. Bonus points are awarded for hitting one single, one double and one treble of the target number ("Shanghai").
  • Halve it - Players have three darts at each of the designated numbers in turn: 20s, 16s, double 7, 14s, treble 10, 17s, bullseye. Scoring is standard, but as the game progresses, missing a target number results in the player's score being halved. For pentathlon points, players are awarded one point for hitting each correct single, two for a double, three for a treble and two for a bullseye.
  • Round the board on doubles - Players have 42 darts to hit every double on the board starting on 1 and continuing sequentially until 20. Two points are awarded for each double hit and bonus points are awarded for completing the challenge with darts to spare.

British Pentathlon winners

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Men

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[7]

Year 1st place 2nd place Round the board on doubles Shanghai Halve-it
2021 Neil Duff Luke Littler Neil Duff Neil Duff Dean Winstanley/James Richardson
2020 Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2019 Martin Adams Kyle McKinstry Dave Parletti Jim Withers/Keith Montgomery Martin Adams
2018 Kyle McKinstry Andy Baetens Sven Verdonck Dave Parletti Jim McEwan
2017 Martin Adams Willem Mandigers Jay Foreman Andy Baetens Paul Dawkins
2016 Martin Adams Jamie Hughes Jamie Hughes Ted Hankey Tatu Pehkonen
2015 Jamie Hughes John Walton John Walton Jamie Hughes Jamie Hughes
2014 Martin Adams John Walton Pip Blackwell/Sven Verdonck John Walton Garry Thompson
2013 James Hurrell Jay Foreman/Paul Dawkins Rune David/Joe Lacey Jay Foreman/Dirk Hespeels Jay Foreman
2012 Robert Wagner Martin Adams Martin Adams/Steve Douglas/James Hurrell/Jim Withers Paul Snowsill Jani Haavisto/Joe Lacey
2011 Martin Adams Dean Winstanley Dirk Hespeels Martin Adams Danny Russell
2010 John Walton Martin Adams John Walton John Walton Pip Blackwell
2009 Martin Adams Scott Mitchell Martin Adams Martin Adams Scott Mitchell
2008 Martin Adams John Walton Marko Kantele Martin Adams Ross Smith
2007 Co Stompe Marko Kantele Phil Wanstall Dirk Hespeels/Co Stompe Paul Dawkins
2006 John Walton Tony Eccles Robert Wagner Tony Eccles/John Walton Jim Withers
2005 Tony Eccles Ulf Ceder Pascal Rabau Pascal Rabau Ulf Ceder
2004 Martin Adams Ted Hankey Marko Kantele Martin Adams Phill Nixon
2003 Andy Fordham Ted Hankey Martin Adams/Andy Fordham Jarkko Komula Vijay Kumar
2002 John Walton Martin Adams Martin Adams/Robert Wagner Andy Fordham Chris Bowring
2001 Martin Adams Ronnie Baxter Jarkko Komula Colin Monk/Phill Nixon Martin Adams
2000 Martin Adams Peter Manley Ronnie Baxter Martin Adams Ronnie Baxter
1999 Martin Adams Colin Monk John Walton Martin Adams John Walton
1998 Andy Fordham Ronnie Baxter Colin Monk Andy Fordham Ronnie Baxter
1997 Ronnie Baxter Mervyn King Martin Adams Ronnie Baxter Andy Fordham
1996 Martin Adams Ronnie Baxter Andy Jenkins Thor Johansen Colin Monk
1995 Richie Burnett Steve Beaton Richie Burnett Richie Burnett Martin Adams
1994 Martin Adams Les Wallace Steve Beaton Andy Fordham Colin Monk
1993 Steve Beaton Andy Fordham Steve Beaton Kevin Painter Steve Beaton
1992 Dennis Priestley Alan Warriner Dennis Priestley Andy Fordham Rod Harrington
1991 Phil Taylor Ronnie Baxter Peter Evison Phil Taylor Ritchie Gardner
1990 Phil Taylor Alan Warriner Paul Reynolds Alan Warriner Ronnie Baxter
1989 Eric Bristow Bob Sinnaeve Eric Bristow/Martin Hurley Eric Bristow Shayne Burgess
1988 Alan Warriner John Lowe Alan Warriner Eric Bristow/Reg Harding/Alan Warriner John Lowe
1987 John Lowe Ritchie Gardner Paul Lim/Gene Raymond Graham Scowcroft Don Dillon
1986 John Lowe Robert MacKenzie John Lowe Robert MacKenzie John Lowe
1985 John Lowe Ritchie Gardner John Lowe Tony Littlewood John Lowe
1984 John Lowe Jocky Wilson Ken Summers Steve Brennan/John Lowe Ritchie Gardner
1983 John Lowe Keith Deller Steve Brennan/Alan Glazier Alan Glazier/John Lowe Trevor Nurse
1982 John Lowe Jocky Wilson Brian Langworth Steve Brennan John Lowe
1981 Eric Bristow John Lowe Cliff Lazarenko John Lowe Eric Bristow
1980 John Lowe Eric Bristow Brian Langworth Brian Langworth Dave Whitcombe
1979 John Lowe Eric Bristow Bobby George/Cliff Lazarenko Eric Bristow Mick Banyard
1978 John Lowe Dave Whitcombe Cliff Lazarenko Dave Whitcombe John Lowe
1977 Rab Smith Alan Glazier George Simmons Alan Glazier Ken Brown
1976 John Lowe Leighton Rees George Simmons Cliff Lazarenko Leighton Rees
1975 Conrad Daniels Cliff Inglis Harry Heenan/Phil Obbard/Tommy O'Regan/Noel Fowley/Phil Wakeman/Terry James George Foster/Kevin White/Jim McQuillan/Jack McKenna/Cyril Hayes/Boerge Madsen George Cottle/Javier Gopar/John Kelly/Glyn Greenway/Douglas Melander/Bjørn Enqvist/John Riding

Women

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[8]

Year 1st place 2nd place Round the board on doubles Shanghai Halve-it
2021 Not held
2020 Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2019 Beau Greaves Laura Turner Laura Stockings Laura Turner Vicky Pruim
2018 Aileen de Graaf Lorraine Winstanley Deta Hedman/Sharon Prins Casey Gallagher Lorraine Winstanley
2017 Deta Hedman Lorraine Winstanley Rachna David Anca Zijlstra Lorraine Winstanley
2016 Trina Gulliver Deta Hedman Claire Brookin Sarah Roberts Rhian Griffiths
2015 Fallon Sherrock Lorraine Winstanley/Deta Hedman Deta Hedman Fallon Sherrock Claire Brookin
2014 Deta Hedman Claire Brookin Elin Assestrand Trina Gulliver Wendy Reinstadtler
2013 Deta Hedman Trina Gulliver Deta Hedman Trina Gulliver Donna Rainsley
2012 Trina Gulliver Rachna David Trina Gulliver/Donna Rainsley Anna Forsmark Anna Forsmark
2011 Trina Gulliver Zoe Jones Marlene Badger Zoe Jones Lorraine Winstanley
2010 Deta Hedman Lorraine Winstanley Deta Hedman/Sue Gulliver/Tricia Wright Deta Hedman Sue Gulliver
2009 Trina Gulliver Apylee Jones Donna Rainsley Karen Lawman Viv Dundon
2008 Lisa Ashton Trina Gulliver Lisa Ashton Lisa Ashton Lisa Ashton
2007 Trina Gulliver Julie Gore Irina Armstrong Julie Gore Sandra Pollett
2006 Trina Gulliver Karen Lawman Karen Lawman Karen Lawman Trina Gulliver
2005 Trina Gulliver Apylee Jones Inita Bite/Tricia Wright Hege Lokken Trina Gulliver
2004 Trina Gulliver Karen Lawman Karen Lawman Trina Gulliver Trina Gulliver

References

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  1. ^ "British Pentathlon". dartswdf.com.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Waddell, Sid (1983). The BBC book of world darts. London: BBC. p. 41. ISBN 0563201843.
  3. ^ Gulliver, Trina (2008). Golden Girl: The Autobiography of the Greatest Ever Ladies' Darts Player. John Blake. ISBN 9781844545001.
  4. ^ George, Bobby (2007). Bobby Dazzler: My Story. Orion. p. 92. ISBN 9780752882260.
  5. ^ Lowe, John [@jloweprodart] (11 June 2020). "I stopped playing in the Pentathlon after 10 wins, I liked the event, but the prize money was the same after 12 years, and it cost £100 to enter, plus your hotel, travel, food and drink, I can hear today's players laughing, but that was pioneering what they have today" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ "British Pentathlon Rules". Essex Darts.
  7. ^ "British Pentathlon men". Mastercaller.com.
  8. ^ "British Pentathlon women". Mastercaller.com.