Luke Littler and Tadej Pogacar continued their relentless winning streaks, sparking debate about the nature of sporting dominance. Littler defeated Gerwyn Price 18-9 to retain the World Matchplay title, his second consecutive crown, while Pogacar secured his fifth Tour de France victory.
Littler's Record-Breaking Run
Littler has won six out of six major tournaments in the Professional Darts Corporation calendar this year, including the World Championship and UK Open. His order of merit stands at £3.1 million, more than triple that of second-placed Luke Humphries. In ranking events, he has 36 wins in his last 37 matches, a streak comparable to Phil Taylor.
Commentator Wayne Mardle captured the teenager's ruthless streak: "Ohh, he couldn't. Oh, you spiteful young man! You spiteful person! That is ridiculous!" Littler's ability to produce his best on the biggest stages, with a 167 checkout when his opponent was on double-10, exemplifies his dominance.
Pogacar's Tour de France Triumph
More than 800 miles away, Pogacar surged past Richard Carapaz on stage 10, extending his lead over Jonas Vingegaard to three minutes. The Bastille Day crowd booed him for his stranglehold on the sport, but Pogacar shrugged it off: "Haters gonna hate." A TNT Sports commentator remarked, "It's like watching two different sports."
Pogacar's dominance, like Littler's, has drawn criticism and lament for an era of more open competition. Yet both are young—Pogacar 27, Littler 19—and capable of shattering records for years to come.
The Ephemeral Nature of Greatness
The article reflects on the fleeting nature of such dominance, citing examples like Eddy Merckx, Roger Federer, and Usain Bolt. Even Mondo Duplantis, who had broken the pole vault world record 13 times, recently fell short due to injury. True perfection, the piece suggests, is a temporary alignment of the planets, not a permanent state.
