This 32-year-old bearded man, with a receding hairline and an engaging smile, was introduced to darts by his father and quickly distinguished himself in the small circle of amateurs in France, where the federation, not recognized by the State, does not count than 1,200 licensees.

A landscape architect by training, he also embarked on the international circuit but gradually found himself in an impasse: "I was in the soft underbelly of the championship, it was useless, I was dropped. And at work I didn't have my head either, I was no longer progressing," he told AFP.

At the beginning of 2020, pushed by his partner, he therefore embarked on full-time darts, investing the time and money necessary to skim the amateur and semi-pro tournaments of the WDF (international darts federation).

In this still very Anglo-Saxon universe with often colorful characters, he has become the "French Touch", with a jersey in tricolor colors and darts with a resolutely Breton design.

"At first, it was a hassle to find yourself the only Frenchman," he says.

But his English has improved and he has forged links with a small core of players whom he finds from tournament to tournament to support each other and enjoy the local gastronomy together.

"A brain sport"

In darts, athletic condition is indeed a secondary effect.

White hair, a few extra pounds?

It doesn't matter since "darts is a brain sport", assures Thibault Tricol.

He trains in a room set up in the bar managed by his partner in Malguénac, near Pontivy, very far from the sometimes crazy atmosphere of certain tournaments.

But after 20 years of practice, his room for improvement is more in the mind than in the technique.

Darts player Thibault Tricol during training in Malguénac, Brittany, June 7, 2022 FRED TANNEAU AFP / Archives

"I know players who train 8 hours a day. I want to keep this pleasure of playing," he explains.

"What I'm looking for are sensations, emotions, managing thrilling sounds. I don't want to become a robot, even if I know that's a bit what it should be."

With the help of a mental trainer, he works on mental imagery and breathing, but also on a routine, "rituals to always put myself in the same conditions", like Rafael Nadal's tics.

And the "French Touch" is successful: Thibault Tricol is among the top 10 in the world on the WDF circuit with victories in Spain, Greece, Denmark, Wales...

In April, he narrowly failed in the final of the WDF World Championships and last week he reached the semi-finals in singles and won a 6,000-player doubles tournament in the Netherlands.

"I'm clearing"

From now on, he can count on the support of two sponsors, Japanese and English darts brands, and two industrialists from the North who finance his travels (40 to 50,000 euros per year).

But if he manages to join the prestigious professional circuit PDC (Professional Darts Corporation), everything will be multiplied: the pressure, the show, the winnings... "It would be another life!"

For this, 10 entry tickets are put into play each year during a series of tournaments in January: in 2020, Thibault Tricol was ranked 12th, this year 25th.

The trophy won by dart player Thibault Tricol in Malguénac, Brittany, June 7, 2022 FRED TANNEAU AFP / Archives

"I didn't go far. I'll be there but I don't know when," he says.

"But I'm not necessarily in a hurry because I want to be psychologically armed, the level is very high".

Already invited to several PDC tournaments, he has chained defeats in the 1st round but has just reached a 2nd round this week, before losing a beautiful 6-5 to the 11th in the world.

"It's not easy for me because I clear the land, I have no references in France, no one to ask for advice," he admits.

But he hopes that his success will bring other tricolors in his wake.

© 2022 AFP