Emma Paton, the face of Sky Sports' World Darts Championship coverage, has revealed how her dreams of representing Great Britain at the Olympics were shattered by injury. The presenter, now a familiar figure in darts broadcasting, was a promising 400m athlete in her youth, competing at national level.
Paton even landed a role in the 2012 film 'Fast Girls', playing a Ukrainian relay runner alongside Lily James and Noel Clarke. However, recurring injuries forced her to abandon her athletic ambitions and turn her focus to a media career.
Speaking to Mirror Sport before the tournament, Paton said: '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 added that her media work at Sky, initially on the breakfast show, allowed her to fit in training around early starts, but eventually injuries led her to concentrate on her on-screen career, culminating in hosting darts coverage.
Paton drew parallels between athletics and darts, noting both are individual sports where performers are 'out there on your own'. She said her background in sport helped her empathise with the players.
The presenter will be on duty for the World Championship final between Luke Littler and Gian van Veen. Defending champion Littler progressed with a 6-1 victory over Ryan Searle, while Van Veen defeated Gary Anderson in the other semi-final. Coverage begins at 7.30pm on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Darts, with the final underway at 8.15pm.
