A Dramatic Victory in Sport-Boules
The French delegation’s gold medal count in Taranto began with a tense finish in progressive shooting. Both competitors ended regulation play tied at 47 points apiece. In the ensuing tie-break barrage, Marsens edged out his opponent 47(10) to 47(7) to secure the gold medal he had targeted since missing out at the World Games the previous year.
“Un succès particulièrement précieux,” noted reports detailing how Marsens clinched the final accolade missing from his competitive résumé. The victory set a competitive tone for the French team in the sport-boules events.
Marie Groleaz Dominates Progressive Shooting
Shortly after Marsens’ triumph, world champion Marie Groleaz added a second gold medal for France in the progressive shooting discipline. Groleaz defeated Turkey’s Mine Turker 29-27 in the final round.
Despite later expressing self-critique regarding her overall form during the tournament, Groleaz secured the Mediterranean title.
Pétanque Doublette Turning Point
France’s third gold medal of the day came through a dramatic comeback in the women’s pétanque doublette event. Nelly Peyre and Torea Tairio faced a daunting 0-7 deficit against Spain’s Abril Cruzado and Valiente Quereda before staging a remarkable rally.
The French duo scored nine points across just two ends to seize control of the match, ultimately prevailing 13-9. For Nelly Peyre, the victory provided immediate redemption after she settled for a silver medal in the individual pétanque event earlier, where she fell 30-32 to Spain’s Alba Valiente Quereda.
Badminton and Canoeing Add to the Medal Haul
The broader French delegation also made waves across badminton and water sports during the multi-sport event in Italy. The pair fell 21-16, 15-21, 21-17 to Turkey’s Yasemen Bektas and Emre Sonmez in a hard-fought final.
In canoe-kayak events, Marine Bonnavaud and Loulia Lefoulon earned a bronze medal in the 500m kayak by edging out their Turkish rivals by just 25 centiseconds. Teammate Lucas Laroche followed shortly after with a bronze finish in the C1 1000m event.
Fencing Success and Next Steps
Fencing added to the national tally when Éloïse Vanryssel secured a bronze medal in the épée competition. Serving as France’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony, Vanryssel advanced past Greece’s Adrianna Theodoropoulou 14-10 in the quarterfinals before falling 7-15 to Spain’s Daniela Pinyol Tomas in the semifinals.
