At the 2026 Mediterranean Games in Taranto, Italy had a notable performance in the men’s individual archery tournament through 24-year-old Francesco Gregori, who advanced to the gold-medal match before falling to France’s Thomas Chirault, according to competition records and reports from specialized outlets like sport2u.tv.
The Gold-Medal Clash at Crispiano
The men’s individual final took place during the final day of archery competition at the new venue in Crispiano. Francesco Gregori faced Thomas Chirault of France for the gold medal, ultimately dropping the match 7-1 in four sets. According to match reports, the Italian archer kept pace during the opening exchanges—recording a 28-27 first set and a 29-29 draw in the second—before the French competitor pulled away with a dominant 30-27 score in the third set and a 28-24 finish in the fourth.
The defeat marked the fourth time Italy settled for fourth place across the final slate of archery events on the closing day. Earlier in the day, the Italian delegation collected three fourth-place finishes in the team and mixed team events, leaving Gregori’s individual run as the centerpiece of the nation’s medal contention on the final afternoon.
Gregori’s Path to the Final
Gregori earned his spot in the final showdown following a standout run through the preliminary elimination rounds. According to tournament brackets detailed by sport2u.tv, the 24-year-old athlete from Romagna opened his campaign by defeating Portugal’s Luis Goncalves 6-0. He followed that performance with a 6-2 victory over fellow Italian archer Massimiliano Mandia in the subsequent round.
The defining moment of his tournament run came in the quarterfinals, where Gregori faced top-tier international competition and defeated Turkish star Mete Gazoz in a 6-0 sweep. He advanced past Spain’s Diego Conde Collar 6-2 in the semifinals to book his place in the gold-medal match against Chirault.
Broader Mediterranean Games Archery Results
While Gregori secured the men’s individual silver, the broader Italian squad experienced mixed fortunes across the venue’s elimination brackets. In the women’s tournament, top-seeded Italian archer Roberta Di Francesco exited in the quarterfinals after losing a tight shoot-off against France’s Lisa Barbelin. Chiara Rebagliati also fell at the quarterfinal stage, dropping a 6-2 decision to Spain’s Elia Canales, while Tatiana Andreoli was eliminated in the round of 16.
On the podium for other events, Andres Temiño Mediel claimed the men’s individual bronze medal after defeating compatriot Diego Conde Collar in an all-Spanish playoff. In the women’s division, France’s Barbelin captured the gold medal by defeating Canales, while Spain’s Paula Alvarez Gonzalez secured the bronze by overcoming Turkey’s Elif Gokkir.
