Elisabetta Mijno secured her 12th Italian absolute title and ninth consecutively at the Italian Targa Para-Archery Championships, concluding the outdoor domestic season at the Alberto Tommolini Municipal Stadium in Martinsicuro. Organized by Arcieri il Delfino alongside FITARCO Abruzzo, Sportivamente Insieme, and the local municipality, the late-September tournament served as a crucial proving ground for the Azzurri ahead of international fixtures leading to the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
Recurve Divisions Highlighted by National Team Rematches
In the men’s recurve final, Davide Bettoni of Fiamme Gialle edged out reigning world champion Stefano Travisani of the Gruppo Sportivo Paralimpico della Difesa 6-4 in a rematch of the squad that captured the European team title in Rome earlier in the year. The victory marked Bettoni’s second career absolute title, following his 2024 triumph. Gabriel De Toffoli of Arcieri del Piave claimed the bronze medal by defeating outgoing champion Giuseppe Verzini of Arcieri Cormons in a shoot-off that finished 6-5 (8+-8).
Mijno maintained her stranglehold on the women’s recurve division, defeating national teammate Vincenza Petrilli of Fiamme Oro 6-0 to secure her 12th career national crown. Silvia Sapo of Arco Club Pontino took third place with a 6-4 victory over Elisabetta Petris of Arcieri Cormons. Despite missing out on individual podiums, Petris and Verzini rebounded in the mixed team event, where Arcieri Cormons swept Arcieri delle Alpi 6-0 in the final.
Compound Titles Decided by Narrow Margins
Christian Seneca of Kappa Kosmos Rovereto claimed his first career senior national title in the men’s compound division, holding off Lorenzo Schieda of P.H.B. 133-131 in the gold-medal match. Defending champion Giampaolo Cancelli of Fiamme Oro secured the bronze medal by edging Gabriele Saccoman 133-132.
Maria Andrea Virgilio of Fiamme Azzurre collected her seventh national title in the women’s compound bracket, using a strong closing stretch to defeat national teammate Irene Picci of Arcieri Padovani 138-133. Letizia Visintini of Arcieri Cormons captured bronze by defeating Gloria Lorenzetti 138-126.
In the men’s compound team competition, Kosmos Rovereto representatives Seneca and Powroznik captured the club’s first-ever national title in the event by defeating P.H.B. 145-141. Frecce Azzurre rounded out the podium with a 139-137 win over Arcieri Padovani.
W1 and Visually Impaired Showdowns
The men’s W1 final featured another tactical battle between representatives of the Gruppo Sportivo Paralimpico della Difesa. European champion Paolo Tonon faced European silver medalist Maurizio Panella in a tight contest that ended with Panella securing a 139-137 victory for his second career national title following his 2024 win. Francesco Maria Sorato took third place with a 119-108 win over Gabriele Ferrandi.
In the women’s W1 category, Daila Dameno of Arcieri Ugo di Toscana completed a successful return from injury by capturing her first absolute national title, defeating Simona Canipari 114-89. Both athletes transitioned to competitive archery following prominent international careers in handbike racing.
Rounding out the Martinsicuro program, Emma Paoloni and Michele Biisecchi claimed the respective titles in the Visually Impaired categories, sealing a comprehensive weekend of competition as the Italian federation turns its focus toward the 2027 international qualification calendar.
Worth a look
