Leo Laurens

{{short description|Belgian darts player}} {{BLP sources|date=March 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}} {{Infobox darts player | name = Leo Laurens | image = | fullname = | nickname = {{nowrap|"The Lion of Antwerp"}} | birth_date = {{nowrap|{{birth date and age|1952|7|30|df=yes}}}} | birth_place = [[Antwerp]], Belgium | death_date = | death_place = | hometown = [[Itegem]], Belgium | since = 1972 | darts = 21g | laterality = Right-handed | music = "[[Good Times (The Easybeats song)|Good Times]]" by [[Jimmy Barnes]] and [[INXS]] | BDO = 1988–1999 | PDC = | currentrank = | BDO World = Quarter-final: 1997 | World Masters = Last 32: 1988, 1993, 1995 | Dutch Open = Winner (1): 1992 | World Darts Trophy = | Int. Darts League = | PDC World = | Matchplay = | Grand Prix = | UK Open = | Vegas = | Premier League = | tournament = Belgium Gold Cup Belgium National Championship Antwerp Open French Open North Holland Open | resultyears = 1988, 1993, 1996 1989, 1990, 1992 1990 1990, 1992 1995 | achievement = | updated = }}

'''Leo Laurens''' (born 30 July 1952) is a Belgian former professional [[darts]] player who competed in [[British Darts Organisation]] (BDO) events. At the end of 1993, he was number one in the WDF world rankings after all of the BDO's top players broke away to form the World Darts Council (now the [[Professional Darts Corporation]], PDC).

==Career==

Laurens made his World Championship debut in 1989, losing in the first round to American [[Rick Ney]]. He returned a year later, beating Canada's [[Bob Sinnaeve]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dartnet.nl/toernooien/e1990.php |title=Embassy World Professional Darts Championship 1990 |publisher=Dartnet.nl |accessdate=2009-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007024824/http://www.dartnet.nl/toernooien/e1990.php |archive-date=7 October 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> before losing to [[Mike Gregory (darts player)|Mike Gregory]]. His best performance came in 1997, where he reached the quarter-finals after beating Ritchie Davies and [[Richie Burnett]]. He lost to reigning champion [[Steve Beaton]]. Laurens also holds the record for most 180's scored in a first-round match at the World Championship, with nine, although [[John Henderson (darts player)|John Henderson]] holds the record for a best of 5 sets match with 12.

He also played in the [[Winmau World Masters]] in 1988, 1993, and 1995, losing in the first round on each occasion.

==World Championship performances==

===BDO=== *1989: 1st round (lost to [[Rick Ney]] 1–3) (sets) *1990: 2nd round (lost to [[Mike Gregory (darts player)|Mike Gregory]] 1–3) *1994: 2nd round (lost to [[Magnus Caris]] 0–3) *1996: 1st round (lost to [[Raymond van Barneveld]] 0–3) *1997: Quarter-finals (lost to [[Steve Beaton]] 3–4)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.DartsDatabase.co.uk/PlayerDetails.aspx?playerKey=1874 Stats on Darts Database]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laurens, Leo}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Place of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Belgian darts players]] [[Category:British Darts Organisation players]] [[Category:People from Heist-op-den-Berg]] [[Category:1952 births]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Antwerp Province]] [[Category:21st-century Belgian sportsmen]]