Sky Sports presenter Emma Paton, now a familiar face in the network's coverage of the World Darts Championship, once harboured ambitions of representing Great Britain at the Olympic Games. The 400m runner competed at national level but saw her athletic career cut short by a series of injuries.
Paton's sporting background included a cameo role in the 2012 film Fast Girls, where she played a Ukrainian relay runner alongside actors such as Lily James and Noel Clarke. The film followed a Team GB hopeful striving for world championship glory.
Reflecting on her unfulfilled Olympic dream, Paton told Mirror Sport: “I fell short of my dreams but that’s OK. I wanted to go to the Olympics to represent Great Britain. That was the aim but I had years of injuries and it didn’t really happen.” She subsequently shifted focus to her media career, which flourished at Sky Sports.
Paton now hosts darts coverage, a role she finds relatable due to the individual nature of the sport. “Different in many ways but similar in the fact that it's an individual sport. You’re just out there on your own,” she said. “I've put myself on a start line, in that situation, although obviously not to the extent these players are playing at.”
Paton will front coverage of the World Championship final between Luke Littler and Gian van Veen. The match airs on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Darts from 7.30pm, with the players taking the stage at 8.15pm.
