Mauro Nespoli and Roberta Di Francesco will represent Italy in the recurve divisions at the 2026 Archery World Cup Final, scheduled for September 12–13 at the Plaza de Armas in Saltillo, Mexico. The season-ending tournament gathers only the top eight archers in each specific weapon category and gender after a four-stage international circuit.
Mauro Nespoli Targets Another Podium in Mexico
Mauro Nespoli enters the Saltillo showdown as a seasoned contender, securing his eighth career appearance in the prestigious season finale. The Pavia-born Olympic champion brings an impressive international resume to the Mexican venue, highlighted by a second-place finish in Moscow in 2019 and a third-place podium result in 2023 at Hermosillo, also hosted in Mexico. According to competitive records, his 2026 campaign showcased consistent precision, featuring a silver medal at the European Championships in Antalya alongside another second-place finish during the fourth and final World Cup stage held in Madrid.
The path to the podium in Mexico will demand peak execution. Nespoli faces a formidable international field in the men’s recurve bracket. Confirmed competitors include Turkey’s Mete Gazoz, reigning champion and six-time tournament winner Brady Ellison of the United States, France’s Jean-Charles Valladont, India’s Dhiraj Bommadevara, local favorite Matias Grande of Mexico, Turkey’s Berkim Tuner, and Japan’s Junya Nakanishi. Among the qualifiers, Valladont holds the lowest world ranking at 25th.
Roberta Di Francesco Earns First Career Finals Berth
For twenty-three-year-old Roberta Di Francesco, the trip to Saltillo marks a major career milestone. The Pescara-born archer secured her first-ever qualification for a World Cup Final following a standout international season. Reporting indicates she climbed the podium three separate times over the circuit: once in individual competition and twice in the mixed team event alongside partner Matteo Borsani, with podium stops secured in both Antalya and Madrid.
Di Francesco steps into an elite women’s recurve draw filled with global medalists. The Italian competitor will face Czech archer Marie Horackova, home favorites Ana Paula Vazquez Flores and Alejandra Valencia Trujillo of Mexico, Spain’s Elia Canales, Turkey’s Elif Gokkir, Germany’s Katharina Bauer, and China’s Zhong Qixuan, who enters the bracket as a dangerous dark horse.
Schedule and Format for the Saltillo Showdown
The two-day tournament at the Plaza de Armas splits competition by discipline and weapon type. Opening action on Saturday, September 12, focuses entirely on the compound division, where Italy has no athletes entered. Sunday, September 13, shifts the spotlight to the recurve brackets, where Nespoli and Di Francesco will battle for the ultimate circuit crowns.
While the Italian national team has concurrently managed training commitments for the Mediterranean Games in Taranto, the recurve contingent turns its full competitive focus toward the high-altitude conditions in Saltillo. Nespoli previously navigated physical concerns that kept him off the roster for Taranto, aiming to peak for the Mexican finals.
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