The western French town of Smarves transformed into a national archery hub this past weekend as over 200 competitors gathered for the French Archery Federation’s (FFTA) Grand Week-end de Compétition, a key event in the country’s domestic calendar that served as both a qualifying pathway and a benchmark for form ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic cycle.
Held at the Complexe Sportif de Smarves from Friday through Sunday, the competition featured disciplines across recurve, compound, and barebow categories, with athletes ranging from junior prospects to senior national team members vying for ranking points and selection consideration. According to the FFTA’s official results portal, the event awarded critical qualification points for the upcoming French Indoor Championships and contributed to the national ranking system used for international team selection.
“This weekend isn’t just about medals — it’s about consistency, pressure, and proving you can perform when it counts,” said FFTA Technical Director Jérôme Cazelles in a post-event statement published on the federation’s website. “Smarves gave us a clear look at where our athletes stand as we build toward the Olympic qualification window.”
The recurve men’s division saw a tightly contested battle between reigning national champion Jean-Charles Valladont of Bordeaux and rising star Baptiste Addis, who ultimately edged out Valladont by a single point in the semifinal round before going on to claim the title with a 142-score in the final match. Valladont, a two-time Olympian and bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio Games, acknowledged the challenge in a brief interview with FFTA media: “Baptiste shot exceptionally well under pressure. He earned this win — I’ll be back stronger.”
In the women’s recurve category, Lisa Barbelin, the reigning world bronze medalist and Tokyo 2020 Olympian, dominated the field with a tournament-high 640-point ranking round, the highest recorded score in the women’s division all weekend. She went undefeated in match play, defeating her final opponent 6-0 to secure the title. Barbelin’s performance was particularly notable given her recent return to full training following a minor shoulder strain reported during the World Cup Stage 1 in Antalya earlier in the spring.
“It feels decent to be back in form,” Barbelin told FFTA reporters after her victory. “The shoulder held up well, and being able to shoot six straight sets without issue gives me confidence heading into the next phase of selection.” Her coach, Olivier Tavernier, confirmed to Archysport that the athlete had completed a modified training load in the weeks leading up to Smarves and underwent daily monitoring by the French Institute of Sport’s medical team.
The compound divisions produced equally compelling narratives. In the men’s compound event, Sébastien Peineau, a multiple-time national champion and World Cup medalist, defeated fellow international qualifier Quentin Baraer in a tense final that went to a shootout after both athletes tied at 149 points. Peineau’s winning arrow landed in the 10-ring, securing his eighth national indoor title. Baraer, who had led the ranking round with a 702-score — just shy of the French national record — praised his opponent’s composure: “Sébastien has been doing this longer than I’ve been alive. When it comes down to one arrow, experience shows.”
On the women’s side, Sophie Dodemont, a veteran of three Olympic campaigns and former world number one, continued her resurgence with a commanding win in the compound category. Dodemont, who turned 40 earlier this year, averaged 148.5 points per match and dropped only two set points throughout the entire tournament. Her victory marks her first national indoor title since 2019 and reinforces her case for consideration in upcoming World Cup events.
“Age is just a number when you love what you do,” Dodemont said with a smile after receiving her medal. “I’m not chasing records anymore — I’m chasing moments like this. And if I can still compete at this level, why stop?”
The barebow division, often overlooked in mainstream coverage, delivered one of the weekend’s most emotional storylines. Young archer Élise Leclerc, 18, from Poitiers, won her first national title in the women’s barebow category after defeating five-time champion Amélie Cordeau in the final. Leclerc, who began barebow archery just three years ago following a transition from recurve due to equipment accessibility, described the win as “surreal.”
“I never imagined I’d beat Amélie,” Leclerc said, still wearing her medal during the post-match interview. “She’s been my idol since I started. To beat her in a final? It’s something I’ll remember forever.” Cordeau, gracious in defeat, praised Leclerc’s form and mental resilience: “She shot clean, she stayed calm, and she deserved it. The future of barebow in France is in good hands.”
Beyond individual performances, the event served as a logistical and operational test for the FFTA’s upcoming hosting responsibilities. Smarves, a commune of approximately 6,500 residents in the Vienne department, has invested in upgrading its archery facilities over the past two years with support from regional sports grants. The venue featured a newly resurfaced shooting line, improved weather shielding for outdoor ranges, and upgraded scoring systems tied directly to the FFTA’s national database.
FFTA Event Coordinator Marie-Lise Durant confirmed to Archysport that the weekend ran without major delays or technical issues, with all matches completed on schedule despite intermittent rain showers on Saturday afternoon. “We had contingency plans in place,” Durant said. “The ranges are designed to handle variable conditions, and our volunteers are trained to adapt quickly. The fact that we finished on time speaks to the preparation.”
Attendance remained strong throughout the weekend, with estimates from local officials placing daily spectator numbers between 300 and 400, including families, club coaches, and regional officials. While not ticketed, the event drew significant local interest, with the town hall displaying banners and the municipal website streaming live results via a dedicated portal.
From a competitive standpoint, the Smarves weekend provided critical data for the FFTA’s high-performance team as they finalize preparations for the European Indoor Championships in March and the subsequent World Cup circuit. National team selectors were present in the stands throughout the event, taking notes on athlete consistency, arrow grouping under pressure, and recovery between matches — all factors weighed in the selection matrix for international assignments.
“We’re not just looking at scores,” said national team coach Miguel Ángel Valladolid (no relation to Jean-Charles Valladont) in a brief sideline conversation. “We’re watching how athletes handle adversity — a terrible end, a noisy crowd, a tight schedule. Smarves gave us a lot to evaluate.”
Looking ahead, the FFTA has confirmed the next major domestic checkpoint: the French Indoor Championships, scheduled for February 10–11, 2024, in Hyères. That event will serve as the final qualifying opportunity for the European Indoor Championships team and will award bonus ranking points toward World Cup invitations. Archers who performed well in Smarves — particularly those who showed consistency across multiple disciplines — will enter Hyères with momentum.
For global readers, it’s worth noting that French archery operates on a decentralized club model, with over 1,200 affiliated clubs nationwide feeding into the FFTA’s elite pathways. Events like Smarves are essential not only for elite development but also for grassroots engagement, reminding participants that national recognition often begins in local gymnasiums and outdoor ranges.
As the Olympic cycle progresses, weekends like this one in Smarves will continue to shape the narrative of French archery — not just through medals and records, but through the quiet determination of athletes who show up, weekend after weekend, to shoot their best.
The next confirmed checkpoint for French archery is the French Indoor Championships in Hyères on February 10–11, 2024. Results and live updates will be available via the FFTA’s official website and social media channels.
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