The Arc Club de Nîmes returned from the European Club Cup in Ruse, Bulgaria, with a pair of podium finishes, capturing a silver medal in the men’s tournament and a bronze in the women’s event.
Men’s Squad Dominates Qualifications Before Falling to Rennes
The Nîmes men’s team established early dominance on the shooting line in Bulgaria. Baptiste Addis and Jean-Charles Valladont set the pace by finishing first and second respectively in the qualifications. Teaming up with Thomas Aubert, the trio posted a combined score of 2,012 points, finishing just three points shy of the French national record. In the group phase, the Gard squad swept Sofia and Spain’s Pozuelo by identical 6-0 margins without dropping a single set. Pozuelo entered the tournament as defending champions, featuring 2025 world champion and 2026 Nîmes tournament winner Andres Temino Midiel. After defeating Slovenia’s Kamnik 6-0 in the semifinals, Nîmes advanced to an all-French final against Rennes. The title match opened favorably for Nîmes at 3 sets to 1 following scores of 55-55 and 55-51. Small errors allowed Rennes to draw level at 3-3 with a 55-54 win in the third exchange. The Breton trio then shot a 59 out of 60 in the fourth round, edging the Nîmois score of 58 to secure a 5-3 victory and the European crown.
Women’s Team Fights Through Shootouts to Claim Bronze
The Nîmes women’s lineup featured Victoria Sebastian, Mila Fremery-Delestan, and Maïa Tincu. The triplette secured second place in qualifications before earning three group-stage victories: 6-0 against Germany’s Blankenfelder, 6-2 against France’s Brienon, and 6-0 against Moscow. In the semifinals, the team coached by Lionel Allasio faced Pozuelo. The match remained deadlocked at 4-4 through regulation, forcing a decisive three-arrow shoot-off. The Spanish club tallied 10, 10, and 9 points, while Nîmes managed 9, 8, and 9, sending the French squad to the third-place playoff. Nîmes responded by defeating Moscow 6-2 to secure the bronze medal. The result marks the fourth year the Nîmes women have finished on the podium at the continental club championship.
A Season of Elite Consistency Despite Missed Gold
Reflecting on the weekend, Arc Club de Nîmes sports director Olivier Grillat noted the bittersweet nature of the results. “We should be happy, but we are a little sad,” Grillat said. “We have regrets about not winning Europe, but hey, we had a blast all year!” Grillat pointed out that the men’s team held the final in their hands before the narrow loss to Rennes. With Rennes sweeping both the men's and women's team titles in Bulgaria, Nîmes settled for a double podium finish that confirms the club is among the top European archery teams.
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