The Italian archery team concluded their campaign at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar without a podium finish.
Following individual exits earlier in the week, the mixed team duo of Matilde Manini and Niccolò Mazzuoli was eliminated in the first round of the recurve event at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium.
The Italian pair faced a decisive 5-1 defeat against the Turkish team of Dunya Yenihayat—who secured individual gold—and Muhammet Musab Gulay. The match saw the teams draw the first set 38-38, followed by Turkey taking the next two sets with scores of 38-35 and 40-35.
The Mixed Team Event continued through the afternoon session with the knockout stages. The United States duo of Yeeun Whang and Aarya Arun emerged victorious, overcoming South Korea in a shoot-off during the semifinals.
The Americans then defeated the French team of Aurane Lapouge and Mael Lamouret with a final score of 5-1 to claim the title. The bronze medal was awarded to South Koreans Kim Sumin and Lee Jiho, who secured a 6-0 victory over Turkey.
The elimination in the mixed team event followed earlier exits for the Italian athletes in their individual competitions. Matilde Manini, representing Arcieri Voghera, had previously advanced past the round of 32 by defeating Colombia’s Juana Cardona Gaviria 6-2.
However, her individual run ended in the round of 16 after a 6-0 loss to American Yeeun Whang, with set scores of 28-25, 29-27, and 29-24. These Dakar games mark the fourth summer edition of the under-18 event and the first held in Africa after an eight-year hiatus caused by the global pandemic and scheduling delays.
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