Carlo Palumbo, a 13-year-old archer from Lurano, secured the gold medal in the youth category at the Italian indoor archery championships held in Rimini on February 22. The victory marks a major achievement for the young athlete, who has consistently performed well in regional and national circuits.
Building a championship foundation in Lurano
Palumbo’s interest in archery began at age eight during a family visit to the Roncola adventure park. After watching others practice, he began training in a discipline he describes as highly complex, requiring constant focus, seriousness, and determination. His progression was steady; he initially trained one or two days a week before increasing his workload to five or six sessions weekly as his competitive results improved.
To maintain his form throughout the year, Palumbo splits his training between two locations: Urgnano for outdoor preparation and Cologno al Serio for indoor competition. This rigorous schedule is balanced with his school commitments, a challenge he notes requires careful organization.
Team success with Arcieri della Francesca
Beyond his individual success, Palumbo competes for the Arcieri della Francesca club. Alongside teammates Riccardo Dilecce and Andrea De Faveri, both 12, he helped secure a second-place finish in the national team category for the youth division. His experience extends to the regional level as well, where he contributed to the Lombardy squad that claimed the Italian Regional Cup last year.
Broadening athletic horizons
While archery remains his primary focus, Palumbo also practices judo, a sport with a family tradition that includes his father, Domenico, and his two older brothers. Having started judo at age seven, he previously won a national Csi championship in the sport. He continues to train in judo primarily to maintain his physical conditioning. He also spent three years training in swimming, though he did not compete in formal events.
Looking toward the national team
Palumbo identifies Mauro Nespoli—a gold medalist in the team event at the 2012 London Olympics and silver medalist in Beijing 2008—as his primary inspiration in the sport. When approaching competitions, Palumbo avoids superstitious rituals, preferring to rely on a structured preparation process. He emphasizes the importance of mental clarity during matches, noting that dwelling on a missed shot is counterproductive.
His long-term ambitions are clear: Palumbo aims to earn a spot on the Italian national team. Looking further ahead, he expressed a desire to compete at the Olympic level, a goal he intends to pursue through continued training and preparation for future challenges.
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