The Italian archery team opened its campaign at the 2026 Mediterranean Games in Taranto with a positive performance during the morning ranking rounds at the newly established Crispiano facility, according to reports. Led by a stellar individual display from Roberta Di Francesco, the Azzurri secured strong preliminary seedings across the recurve divisions despite challenging wind conditions on the competition line.
Following the conclusion of the 72 qualification arrows, the competition shifts quickly to the knockout brackets.
Roberta Di Francesco Leads the Field in Crispiano
In the women’s recurve qualification, Roberta Di Francesco captured the top spot with a score of 659 points. According to competition data, she edged out Spain’s Elia Canales by a single point, as Canales finished close behind with 658 points, while Turkey’s Dunya Yenihayat took third with 656 points.
Di Francesco’s first-place finish grants her an automatic bye directly into the round of 16. Her teammates also secured solid top-tier qualifications, though they face longer paths through the elimination brackets. Chiara Rebagliati finished seventh with 646 points, and Tatiana Andreoli placed eleventh with 625 points, meaning both must begin their individual elimination runs in the round of 32 against regional opponents.
Matteo Borsani Secures Top-Three Standing in Men’s Division
On the men’s side, Matteo Borsani posted a strong third-place finish with 655 points. Records show he finished just one point behind Turkey’s Mete Gazoz, who claimed second with 656 points, while Spain’s Andres Temino Medel topped the men’s qualification ranking with 664 points.
Borsani’s fellow Azzurri teammates also advanced comfortably into the top ten. Francesco Gregori took seventh place with 649 points, and Massimiliano Mandia finished tenth with 640 points. All three Italian men advance directly to the second round of the individual elimination brackets, where Borsani is scheduled to face Cyprus’s El Helali, Gregori will meet Portugal’s Goncalves, and Mandia will face Egypt’s Tolba.
Team Brackets Push Toward Bronze Medals
Beyond individual standings, the afternoon session featured high-stakes team elimination rounds characterized by tricky wind patterns across the Crispiano venue. According to the Italian Archery Federation, the men’s team of Borsani, Mandia, and Gregori claimed the top spot in the team ranking round with a combined 1,944 points, outperforming Spain (1,941 points) and Turkey (1,936 points).
In the team bracket matches, the Italian men defeated Greece 6–2 before falling 0–6 to France in the semifinals. They will return to the field on Friday to contest the bronze medal against Turkey, whose lineup includes Akkoyun, Gazoz, and Tumer, after the Turkish side was defeated by Spain in their semifinal.
The women’s team—consisting of Andreoli, Di Francesco, and Rebagliati—placed second in the team ranking round with 1,930 points, trailing Spain by ten points while finishing four points ahead of third-place Turkey. In the semifinals, the Italian trio mounted a fierce comeback against Turkey after falling behind 0–4, forcing a tie-breaking shoot-off. Ultimately, the Turkish team edged the shootout 24–23. The Italian women will similarly compete for bronze on Friday morning against Spain’s squad of Alvarez Gonzalez, Canales, and Fernandez Infante.
They sit behind only Spain, which led with 1,322 points, and ahead of Turkey’s 1,312 points.
Next Steps and Schedule
Competition resumes at the Crispiano venue with the individual elimination rounds scheduled for Thursday morning, followed by the mixed team matches in the afternoon. The medal matches for the team and mixed categories will take place on Friday.
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