NÎMES, France — In a stunning display of precision and composure under pressure, Victoria Sebastian captured the gold medal in women’s recurve archery at the Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Nîmes, even as compatriot Lisa Barbelin clinched bronze, delivering a historic double podium finish for the French team on home soil.
The victory marks Sebastian’s first individual World Cup gold since her breakthrough season in 2022 and reinforces France’s status as a rising power in international archery. Barbelin, a Tokyo 2020 Olympian and consistent medal threat, added to her growing collection of World Cup podiums with a hard-fought third-place finish.
Held at the Parc des Expositions de Nîmes from April 5–7, 2024, the event served as the opening stage of the 2024 Archery World Cup circuit and a critical early benchmark for athletes aiming to secure Olympic quota places for Paris 2024. With the Olympic Games just months away, every point and placement carries heightened significance for national teams finalizing their rosters.
Sebastian, 24, entered the elimination rounds as the No. 8 seed after posting a strong 642-point total in the qualification round — just shy of her personal best but sufficient to avoid early clashes with top seeds. Her path to the final included victories over higher-ranked opponents: a 6–2 win over Germany’s Michelle Kroppen in the round of 16, followed by a tense 6–4 semifinal triumph against Mexico’s Alejandra Valencia, a two-time Olympic medalist and world No. 3.
In the gold medal match, Sebastian faced South Korea’s Kang Chae-young, the reigning World Cup Final champion and a dominant force in women’s recurve over the past two seasons. The match unfolded as a tactical duel, with both archers exchanging perfect 10s and narrowly avoiding costly 8s or 9s in the wind-affected conditions.
After three sets, the score was tied 2–2. Sebastian edged ahead in the fourth set with a 29–27 advantage, holding a 4–2 lead. Kang fought back in the fifth, matching Sebastian’s 28 to make it 4–4. The final set came down to a single arrow: Sebastian held her nerve to fire a 9, while Kang’s shot drifted to an 8. The 1-point margin secured a 5–4 set-point victory and the gold medal.
“It’s surreal to win here, in front of my family, my coaches and the French crowd,” Sebastian said in the post-match interview, her voice trembling with emotion. “I’ve dreamed of this moment since I was a kid shooting at the club in Montpellier. To do it in Nîmes, on this stage — it means everything.”
Barbelin’s bronze medal match was equally compelling. The 24-year-old from Strasbourg faced Germany’s Charline Schwarz, a rising talent who had defeated her in the quarterfinals of the 2023 World Championships. After dropping the first two sets, Barbelin adjusted her aim to compensate for a shifting crosswind and won the next three sets consecutively — 28–26, 29–27, and 28–26 — to claim a 6–2 victory and the bronze.
“I started slow, but I trusted my process,” Barbelin explained. “Lisa’s been working on her wind execution all winter, and it showed today. She stayed patient, waited for her moments, and executed when it counted.” said French national team coach Sébastien Flute, a former Olympic gold medalist himself.
The French women’s team also contributed to the nation’s strong showing, finishing fourth in the team event after a semifinal loss to South Korea. Though they missed the podium, the cumulative results — Sebastian’s gold, Barbelin’s bronze, and a solid team round score of 1,908 points — signal strong form heading into the next World Cup stage in Shanghai later this month.
From an Olympic qualification standpoint, the Nîmes results bolster France’s position. As host nation, France already has automatic qualification for all five archery events at Paris 2024. However, individual performances like Sebastian’s and Barbelin’s help determine internal selection for the Olympic roster and provide crucial world ranking points that could influence seeding in the Olympic bracket.
According to World Archery’s current rankings, Sebastian rose to No. 11 globally following her win, while Barbelin held steady at No. 8. South Korea’s Kang Chae-young remains No. 1, but Sebastian’s head-to-head win over her in Nîmes adds a psychological edge going into future encounters.
The Archery World Cup circuit continues with Stage 2 in Shanghai, China, from April 26–28, 2024, followed by Stage 3 in Antalya, Turkey (May 24–26), and the final stage in Medellín, Colombia (June 21–23). The World Cup Final will be held in Tlaxcala, Mexico, later in the year.
For now, the focus shifts to recovery and preparation. Both Sebastian and Barbelin are expected to compete in the upcoming French National Championships in May, which will serve as a key selection trial for the Olympic team.
As the archery world turns its attention toward Paris, the performances in Nîmes have sent a clear message: France is not just participating — it’s competing for the top step of the podium.
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