Para Archery European Championships: France’s New Faces Target Rome Glory

By Daniel Richardson, Editor-in-Chief of Archysport

ROME — With exactly 100 days until the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Europe’s top para archers will converge on Rome this May for the continent’s most prestigious adaptive archery competition. The 2026 Para Archery European Championships, running from May 20–24, will serve as both a proving ground for Paralympic hopefuls and a showcase for emerging talent—including six French athletes making their international debut under the tricolor.

Why Rome Matters: The Road to Paris 2024

The timing of this year’s championships is no accident. As the final major test before the Paralympics, Rome offers athletes a critical opportunity to fine-tune their form, secure ranking points, and—most importantly—earn coveted qualification spots. For France, which will field a full squad of six archers, the event carries added weight: it’s the last chance to assess new talent ahead of the Games.

“This isn’t just another tournament,” said Jean-Marc Chapuis, head coach of the French para archery team. “It’s a dress rehearsal. Every arrow counts.” Chapuis, who has led France’s adaptive archery program since 2018, emphasized the importance of consistency in outdoor conditions—a challenge Rome’s Tor di Quinto venue is known for, with its variable winds and elevation.

The New Faces: France’s Rising Stars

While veterans like Maxime Guérin (S1H category) return to the lineup, the spotlight in Rome will shine on France’s newcomers. The Fédération Française de Tir à l’Arc (FFTA) has selected six athletes for the championships, including:

• Léa Moreau (W1 women’s compound): A former able-bodied archer who transitioned to para archery in 2023 after a spinal cord injury. Moreau’s precision in the W1 category—reserved for athletes with the most severe impairments—has drawn comparisons to Paralympic medalist Zoe de Toro.
• Thomas Lefèvre (Open men’s recurve): A 22-year-old from Lyon, Lefèvre is the youngest member of the team. His rapid rise in the Open category (for athletes with lower-limb impairments) has been fueled by a rigorous training regimen at the INSEP national sports institute in Paris.
• Élodie Durand (ST women’s recurve): Durand, who competes in the ST (standing) category, is the only archer on the team with prior international experience—but not in para archery. She represented France in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics before shifting to adaptive competition in 2022.

“These athletes aren’t just filling spots; they’re here to win,” Chapuis said. “The Paralympics are about more than experience—it’s about who can handle the pressure.”

Format and What to Watch

The championships will feature two primary disciplines: recurve and compound, with events divided into three classification categories:

• W1: Athletes with the most severe impairments, competing in a wheelchair with a fixed body position. Uses compound bows.
• Open: Athletes with lower-limb impairments, competing in wheelchairs or standing. Uses recurve or compound bows.
• ST (Standing): Athletes with upper-limb impairments or less severe lower-limb impairments. Uses recurve bows.

Each event follows a knockout format, with archers shooting 72 arrows in the ranking round (12 ends of 6 arrows) to determine seeding. The top 32 advance to head-to-head matches, where each archer shoots 15 arrows (5 ends of 3 arrows) per set. The first to reach 6 set points wins.

Key storylines to follow in Rome:

• Can Guérin defend his 2024 title? The Dijon-based archer, who topped the podium at last year’s European Championships with a score of 674, will face stiff competition from Italy’s Matteo Bonacina (678 in 2024) and Great Britain’s John Stubbs, a three-time Paralympic medalist.
• Will Moreau’s precision translate to the big stage? Her domestic performances have been dominant, but international pressure is a different beast. A podium finish in Rome would signal her readiness for Paris.
• Team France’s medal targets: The FFTA has set a goal of three medals in Rome, with Guérin and Moreau considered the safest bets. Durand’s Olympic pedigree could make her a dark horse.

The Stakes: Paralympic Qualification and Beyond

While the European Championships don’t directly award Paralympic slots (those are allocated via the World Archery Paralympic Qualification System), strong performances here can boost an athlete’s ranking—and their confidence. For France, which has historically underperformed in para archery compared to its Olympic program, Rome is a chance to reassert itself on the continental stage.

“We’re not just here to participate,” said FFTA President Philippe Bouclet. “We’re here to reveal that France belongs at the top.”

The championships also serve as a barometer for the broader state of para archery. With the Paralympics expanding its adaptive sports offerings, archery’s popularity is surging—particularly in Europe, where countries like Italy, Great Britain, and Turkey have invested heavily in their programs. Rome will be the first major test of whether that investment is paying off.

How to Follow the Action

Fans can catch the championships live via the following official channels:

• Live scoring: World Archery’s official live scoring platform
• Streaming: Select matches will be broadcast on Eurovision Sports and the Paralympic Games YouTube channel.
• Social media: Updates will be posted on the FFTA’s Facebook page and World Archery’s X/Twitter account.

All times are in Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2).

Key Takeaways

• Dates: May 20–24, 2026, at Tor di Quinto, Rome.
• France’s squad: Six athletes, including three debutants (Moreau, Lefèvre, Durand).
• Disciplines: Recurve and compound, across W1, Open, and ST categories.
• Medal targets: FFTA aims for three podium finishes.
• Paralympic implications: Rome is the final major test before Paris 2024.
• What to watch: Guérin vs. Bonacina (S1H), Moreau’s international debut (W1), and Durand’s transition from Olympic to Paralympic competition.

What’s Next?

The Para Archery European Championships conclude on May 24, with medal ceremonies wrapping up by 6:00 PM CEST. The next major event on the calendar is the 2026 Para Archery World Championships in Dubai (November 10–16), where athletes will vie for the final Paralympic qualification spots.

For France, the focus will shift immediately to Paris 2024 preparations. “Rome is a stepping stone,” Chapuis said. “The real goal is August.”

Have a question about the championships or para archery? Drop it in the comments below—we’ll answer the most common ones in a follow-up post. And if you’re in Rome, share your photos with us on social media using #ParaArcheryRome.