Gerwyn Price has spoken openly about the dramatic physical transformation that greeted supporters at Alexandra Palace, revealing the secrets of a three-stone weight loss that has delighted family members while drawing criticism from online trolls.
The former world champion, who faces Czech qualifier Adam Gawlas on Tuesday evening, has long been regarded as one of the fittest players on the darts circuit, shaped by a background in both rugby union and rugby league.
Yet even by those standards, the 40-year-old felt changes were needed earlier this year after recognising that his weight had crept up beyond a level he was comfortable with.
Price decided to act over the summer and has since shed close to 20 kilograms, dropping from around 16-and-a-half stone to approximately 85kg.
The result is a visibly leaner frame that stands in contrast to the beer-bellied stereotype still associated with parts of the professional game.
The transformation has not gone unnoticed. Last month, Price shared a topless photograph from the gym displaying his abs, a post prompted by criticism online suggesting the weight loss had been too sudden.
Far from being fazed, the Welshman said the reaction only reinforced a familiar reality.
“You can’t win, can you?” Price said, per The Sun.
Gerwyn Price has spoken openly about the dramatic physical transformation that greeted supporters at Alexandra Palace, revealing the secrets of a three-stone weight loss that has delighted family members while drawing criticism from online trolls | GETTY“At the end of the day, it’s not about what anybody else thinks. As long as you’re comfortable and you feel good in yourself, which I do, then I’m okay.”
Price explained that the changes were not the result of extreme dieting, but a recalibration of habits.
“I’m not strict in what I eat, but I try and eat healthily at the right times,” added the World Darts Championship star.
“I try and not eat at the wrong times. I still eat what I want, but less of it.
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Five facts darts fans might not know | PA/GBNEWS“If I want to have something that’s not so healthy, then I have it earlier in the day rather than late at night. So, you don’t go to bed on it. It can have a different effect on your body.”
Looking back, Price acknowledged that the warning signs were there well before the decision was made.
“I’ve seen videos on my daughter’s phone or on the apps, even 12 to 18 months ago,” Price said. “At the time you wouldn’t think it, I didn’t think it, and my wife was like, ‘No, no, you’re fine.’
“And then you look back and you’re like, yeah, I was holding a couple of pounds. Now, when you lose a bit of weight, people can be like, ‘Oh no, he looks too thin.’”e at least 4 paragraphs
Price’s emphasis on conditioning places him among a growing group of players who view fitness as an advantage rather than an irrelevance.
The 2021 world champion, crowned behind closed doors during the Covid-affected tournament, believes physical preparation pays dividends as formats lengthen and schedules intensify.
“I wouldn’t say you have to be an athlete,” Price said.
“But it’s obviously in your own interests and it benefits you if you aren’t overweight. Or if you’re in a bit better shape, especially when it gets to the bigger tournaments where it’s longer formats.
Gerwyn Price is one of the biggest names in darts | GETTY“Sometimes even in the European events on a Sunday when you’re playing three or four games all day, it can definitely help.
"I’ve done it for myself to get in the best physical shape and mentality as well. Obviously, it makes it a bit easier when you’re not tired.”
Price, who could meet Luke Littler in the quarter-finals, said any wider influence on the sport would be a welcome by-product rather than the objective.
“If I put a stamp on it to try and change the shape of the sport physique-wise, then I’m happy, but I’m sure a lot of other boys have been doing it as well," he stated.
Away from the oche, attention has also turned to life beyond darts.
Price has invested heavily in property, purchasing 185 acres of land, including 100 acres of woodland, and plans to renovate a farmhouse unused for three decades.
“I’d never be a full-on farmer as I just haven’t got the time,” Price said.
“I’d lease out most because it’s quite a big farm. I’ve got a lot of plans over the next couple of years and when I retire, when I’m 50, I’ll sit back. I might be a farmer then.”