During the game between Gian van Veen and Michael Smith there was an incident in leg 8. The Dutchman explained after the game what happened on stage.
Gian van Veen: “There was a photographer taking pictures which they usually do without flashing, but this time one of them did. I don’t know who it was. I was standing there and noticed it happening to my left and I was like ‘What is this?’. At that time I noticed Michael Smith looking angry to them so then I thought ‘Alright he saw it too’.”
He continues: “It didn’t happend during my throw so I didn’t care too much. Because it happened during his throw I was like, maybe it is not fair to think that way, but I thought ‘Oké maybe this distracted him’. But he still hit a 180 so I thought please don’t flash anymore, haha. I was impressed he still managed to hit a 180 in these circumstances so I gave him a fistbump out of respect.”