But she has a problem: financing her career. Let's not beat around the bush: the Louviéroise is looking for sponsors. Who should come running: darts, now broadcast live on RTLplay, are becoming more and more popular.
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First lesson
Cyrielle got into darts at the age of 14. It must be said that his father was a good player. The following year, his daughter played her first international championship in London. She bowed – to the impossible, no one is held – to the reigning world champion. It was the start of the adventure. But what years of work, what sacrifices and how far we have come since then. “Darts, she explains, you start by acquiring the posture and way of throwing. To do this, the player who is balancing places his right foot on the line on the ground, extends his arm, elbow bent at 90 degrees, then throws the arrow horizontally following the movement of the arm while aiming at the bubble..
Everything is precise. The full bubble has a diameter of 44mm, the half bubble is 17mm and the triple is 40mm by 20mm, with the target placed at 2.37m or 2.44m. And Cyrielle practices traditional steel-tipped darts and electronic darts with equal talent, a discipline in which she is a champion.
At 29 years old, she is quite simply the Belgian number 1 since 2021, the only one to have the elite level. She trains daily, plays every weekend and plays two tournaments per month in France, which she systematically wins. For his father, “she crushes the competition.”
The secret: arm yourself mentally and learn to manage stress. “The more I play, the more I learn. I have been playing non-stop for fifteen years and I continue to progress. Every throw is different. My defeats are each time lessons for me that force me to move forward.”.
Teamed with Della Valentina, Steve Parent and Jean-Mi Ratazzi, Cyrielle Staquet was European champion. The Belgian has won the Hautes-Vosges Open in France several times. At the end of January, she won the Hauts de France tournament. And again that of the Pirates, last year, in Brittany, ranking ahead of the men.
For Vincent Staquet, his daughter has an international future mapped out. “Cyrielle can become an international electronic darts star. I discovered her talent at the age of 13. Unlike many who tend to throw lobs, Cyrielle immediately had the right throw. A good throw frank, very dry. A man's throw.”
SOS sponsors
After the European Championship in Salou, which Belgium won this Friday evening, the Belgian will compete in the French championship. In the meantime, she aims for the world championship in Chicago.
If meeting the best in the world does not scare her, the question of sponsors brings back harsh realities. The federation does not cover the costs. However, registration, flights and accommodation are expensive. And Cyrielle, although qualified in secretarial science, is looking for a job. An appeal is therefore launched. While the sport is enjoying growing success, the champion is waiting for sponsors.
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