{{Short description|Canadian darts player}} {{distinguish|Gayle King|Gail King}} {{Use Canadian English|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox darts player | name = Gayl King | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|1|2|df=yes}}<ref name=TimesProfile/><ref name=GuardianProfile/> | birth_place =Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada | death_date = | death_place = | hometown = Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | careerprizemoney = £1,500<ref name="GaylKingProfile"/> | since = 1981 | darts = 23 Gram | laterality = right-handed | music = | BDO = 1988–2000 | PDC = 2000–2006 | currentrank = | PDC World = First Round: (2001) | World Masters = First Round: 2000 | tournament = Ladies Canadian Open<br>Ladies Klondike Open<br> The Main Event Ladies | resultyears = 2000, 2002, 2003<br>2002, 2003<br>2003, 2004 }} '''Gayl King''' (born 2 January 1964) is a Canadian former professional darts player. She was the first woman to be invited by the darts organization Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) to complete in the PDC World Darts Championship in the 2001 tournament and was the winner of several regional and national darts competitions in Canada.
==Personal background== King was born and raised in a small community in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador and has fourteen siblings.<ref name="TimesProfile" /><ref name="DWorldAug08Profile" /> She has two grown-up sons,<ref name=TimesProfile>{{cite news|last1=E. H. Reid|first1=Timothy|last2=Potter|first2=Sarah|title=Woman with guts shakes up beer bellies|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A68524931/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=GPS&xid=bf3f66c6|work=The Times|date=28 December 2000|accessdate=12 November 2019|page=5|via=Gale Academic OneFile|url-access=subscription|archive-date=13 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213082512/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&u=wikipedia&id=GALE{{!}}A68524931&v=2.1&it=r&sid=GPS&asid=bf3f66c6|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="EJProfile">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/476718041/|title=City woman is making darts history|last=Stock|first=Curtis|date=26 December 2000|work=Edmonton Journal|accessdate=12 November 2019|via=Newspapers.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112175601/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/476718041/|archive-date=12 November 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=PDKing>{{Cite web|url=http://www1.planetdarts.co.uk/article.asp?id=24809&Nv=1|title=History In The Ma-King|last=Farmer|first=Gayle|date=21 November 2000|publisher=Planetdarts.co.uk|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030718144751/http://www1.planetdarts.co.uk/article.asp?id=24809&Nv=1|archive-date=18 July 2003|access-date=12 November 2019}}</ref> and worked as a bookkeeper for a restaurant chain in Edmonton, Alberta prior to her debut in the PDC World Darts Championship.<ref name="DWorldAug08Profile">{{cite web|last=Chaplin|first=Patrick|title=Gayl King: Playing the Men at Their Own Game|url=https://patrickchaplin.com/2019/05/22/gayl-king/|work=Darts World|date=August 2008|accessdate=12 November 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112175553/https://patrickchaplin.com/2019/05/22/gayl-king/|archive-date=12 November 2019}}</ref><ref name="GuardianProfile">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/story/0,3604,415044,00.html|title=Gayl force hits the bull's-eye|last=Weaver|first=Paul|date=23 December 2000|work=The Guardian|accessdate=12 November 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112175553/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/story/0,3604,415044,00.html|archive-date=12 November 2019}}</ref>
==Darts career== King was introduced to the throwing game of darts by one of her older sisters Mary; her brother-in-law provided her with an instructional book which strengthened her interest in the sport.<ref name="TimesProfile" /><ref name="GuardianProfile" /> She made her British Darts Organisation debut in the 1989 World Masters where she was defeated in the preliminary round by Linda Beaver.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mastercaller.com/tournaments/world-masters-ladies/1989/results|title=World Masters Ladies 1989 – Match results|publisher=Mastercaller|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213082517/https://mastercaller.com/tournaments/world-masters-ladies/1989/results|archive-date=13 December 2020|access-date=13 November 2019}}</ref> She finished runner-up to Lillian Skears in the 1995 Klondike Open and repeated the result to Lorraine Colenutt in the 1996 contest.<ref name="KlondikeOpen">{{cite web|title=Klondike Open Ladies|url=https://mastercaller.com/tournaments/klondike-open-ladies|publisher=Mastercaller|accessdate=12 November 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112175609/https://mastercaller.com/tournaments/klondike-open-ladies|archive-date=12 November 2019}}</ref> In 1997, King paired with Kim Whaley to win the women's doubles events of the Klondike Open,<ref name="Results">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pra5DwAAQBAJ&q=Gayl+King&pg=RA1-PA2015|title=Canadian Dart Tournaments Results|last=Boeg|first=Nigel|date=October 2019|publisher=BookRix|isbn=978-3-7487-1870-3|location=Bavaria, Germany|pages=2001–2019|accessdate=12 November 2019|url-status=live|via=Google Books|archive-date=13 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213082459/https://books.google.com/books?id=pra5DwAAQBAJ&q=Gayl+King&pg=RA1-PA2015}}</ref> adding to a success in the tournament's ladies' cricket pairs division with Terry Towey in 1995.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cyberdarts.com/assn/assnECDL2.html|title=38th Annual Western Canada Klondike Open 1995|date=1995|publisher=CyberDarts|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112201115/http://www.cyberdarts.com/assn/assnECDL2.html|archive-date=12 November 2019|access-date=12 November 2019}}</ref> Two years later she won the women's singles and the ladies' doubles of the Manitoba Open and the Saskatoon Open ladies' pairs and ladies' cricket pairs with Laurie Court.<ref name="Results" />
King played in the 1997 WDF World Cup Ladies Pairs tournament in Perth, Australia with Patricia Farrell, where the duo lasted until the semi-finals.<ref name="1997WDCLadies">{{cite web|title=WDF World Cup Ladies Pairs 1997|url=https://mastercaller.com/tournaments/wdf-world-cup-ladies-pairs/1997|publisher=Mastercaller|accessdate=12 November 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112175602/https://mastercaller.com/tournaments/wdf-world-cup-ladies-pairs/1997|archive-date=12 November 2019}}</ref> She also played for the Canadian national women's team.<ref name="PDKing" /> King went on to claim the singles, doubles and the mixed doubles divisions of the 2000 Canadian National Darts Championships,<ref name="GuardianProfile" /> before she followed up with victories in the London Open in the singles and ladies pairs divisions,<ref name="Results" /> and that year's Ladies Canadian Open.<ref name="DWorldAug08Profile" /> She took a victory in the ladies cricket pairs and the mixed pairs divisions of the 2000 Klondike Open.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bullseyenews.com/results2201_klondike.html|title=Dart Tournament Results: Klondike Open|website=Bull's Eye News|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020501170708/http://www.bullseyenews.com/results2201_klondike.html|archive-date=1 May 2002|access-date=13 November 2019}}</ref> King was runner-up to Stacy Bromberg in that year's Windy City Open Ladies and reached the last 64 of the World Ladies Masters.<ref name="MCallerProfile">{{cite web|title=Gayl King|url=https://mastercaller.com/players/gayl-king|publisher=Mastercaller|accessdate=12 November 2019|url-status=live|archive-date=13 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213082521/https://mastercaller.com/players/gayl-king}}</ref> She played in the 2000 BDO World Masters and reached the tournament's first round.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mastercaller.com/tournaments/world-masters-ladies/2000/results|title=World Masters Ladies 2000 – Match results|publisher=Mastercaller|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213082520/https://mastercaller.com/tournaments/world-masters-ladies/2000/results|archive-date=13 December 2020|access-date=13 November 2019}}</ref>
After a PDC World Darts Championship play-off qualification round of eight women players due to be held in conjunction with the 2000 World Grand Prix tournament was cancelled,<ref name="TimesProfile" /><ref name="PDKing" /> the Professional Darts Corporation invited her to compete in the 2001 PDC World Darts Championship in Purfleet, Essex; it began in December 2000 and lasted until January 2001 and the PDC council allowed women to compete in the event.<ref name="TimesProfile" /><ref name="PDKing" /><ref name="MCaller2001PDC">{{cite web|url=https://mastercaller.com/tournaments/pdc-world-championship/2001|title=PDC World Championship 2001|publisher=Mastercaller|url-status=live|accessdate=8 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108184504/https://mastercaller.com/tournaments/pdc-world-championship/2001|archive-date=8 November 2019}}</ref> It telephoned King and she accepted their invitation.<ref name="TimesProfile" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A82413491/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=GPS&xid=bcde0212|title=King is darts' first lady|last=Portnoi|first=Gershon|date=28 December 2000|work=The Scotsman|access-date=12 November 2019|page=23|via=Gale OneFile: News|url-access=subscription|archive-date=13 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213082526/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&u=wikipedia&id=GALE{{!}}A82413491&v=2.1&it=r&sid=GPS&asid=bcde0212|url-status=live}}</ref> She became the first woman to participate in the PDC world championship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/1092774.stm|title=Rattled Stoddart ends Gayl bid|date=29 December 2000|publisher=BBC Sport|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021023020009/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/1092774.stm|archive-date=23 October 2002|access-date=12 November 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.si.com/vault/2001/01/08/8095758/scorecard-fishy-namecheers-and-jeershot-airwomens-grid-woes|title=Scorecard Fishy Name–Cheers and Jeers–Hot Air–Women's Grid Woes|last=Lee|first=Will|date=8 January 2001|work=Sports Illustrated|access-date=12 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112201115/https://www.si.com/vault/2001/01/08/8095758/scorecard-fishy-namecheers-and-jeershot-airwomens-grid-woes|archive-date=12 November 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> King lost her first round match 3–1 to the world number 29 Graeme Stoddart.<ref name="NYTimesKing">{{cite news|title=Plus: Darts; First Woman In Championship|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/31/sports/plus-darts-first-woman-in-championship.html|work=The New York Times|date=31 December 2000|accessdate=12 November 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112175610/https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/31/sports/plus-darts-first-woman-in-championship.html|archive-date=12 November 2019}}</ref>
Later in 2001, King reached the last 16 of the WDF World Cup Singles where she was defeated by Francis Hoenselaar.<ref name="MCallerProfile" /><ref name="GaylKingProfile">{{cite web|title=Gayl King|url=http://www.dartsdatabase.co.uk/PlayerDetails.aspx?playerKey=2005|publisher=Darts Database|accessdate=12 November 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315014119/http://www.dartsdatabase.co.uk/PlayerDetails.aspx?playerKey=2005|archive-date=15 March 2016}}</ref> She won the Ladies Canadian Open and the Klondike Open twice more over the next four years in the singles divisions.<ref name="Results" /><ref name="MCallerProfile" /> King also played in the 2004 Las Vegas Desert Classic and had her final two professional matches at the 2005 and 2006 editions of the Vauxhall Open.<ref name="MCallerProfile" /><ref name="GaylKingProfile" />
==Post-darts career== She retired from competitive darts after a shoulder injury caused her to lose the endurance required to play in tournaments. King found employment at a cheese-making company working as an administrative assistant.<ref name="DWorldAug08Profile" />
==World Championship results== ===PDC=== * 2001: First Round: (lost to Graeme Stoddart 1–3) (sets)<ref name="NYTimesKing"/>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Gayl}} Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Newfoundland and Labrador Category:Female darts players Category:Canadian darts players Category:British Darts Organisation players Category:Professional Darts Corporation associate players Category:20th-century Canadian sportswomen Category:21st-century Canadian sportswomen