Francesco Gregori claimed the Italian national absolute recurve field archery title for the first time in his career. It was the crowning achievement of a standout competitive season that also yielded international medals for Italy.
A Historic Italian Title for Francesco Gregori
Representing the sports group of the Italian Navy, the archer from Riccione secured the gold medal at the Italian Field Archery Championships. The tournament took place between Benevento and Vitulano from September 18 to September 20.
A Tense Showdown at the Rocca dei Rettori
The championship final unfolded on the historic grounds of the Rocca dei Rettori in downtown Benevento. Gregori faced Massimiliano Mandia of the Fiamme Azzurre sports group in a closely contested recurve match. Gregori edged out his opponent with a score of 64 to 61 to capture the gold medal.
Beyond his individual absolute title, Gregori also collected a senior individual silver medal in his respective category during the Campania competitions.
Praise From Municipal Leadership in Riccione
Local municipal leaders praised the athlete’s breakthrough performance. Riccione Mayor Daniela Angelini and Sports Councillor Simone Imola issued a joint statement celebrating the milestone.
“A prestigious success that fills us with pride and enriches an already extraordinary medal collection,” they stated, extending community congratulations to Gregori and the Arco Club Riccione.
Domestic Consistency and Shoot-Off Drama
The national title caps a consistent run of form across the 2026 calendar. Earlier in the domestic season at the Italian Class Championships, Gregori earned two bronze medals.
One came in the individual Olympic division event. The other arrived in the team competition alongside Arco Club Riccione teammates Simone Vernocchi and Nicolay Vinogradov.
In the absolute division bracket, Gregori advanced through the elimination rounds before winning a tense final match that was decided by a tie-break shoot-off arrow.
Taking Down an Olympic Champion on the International Stage
Gregori extended his success abroad while representing the Italian national team. At the Mediterranean Games in Taranto, he reached the final of the men’s individual recurve tournament after defeating Olympic champion Mete Gazoz of Turkey in the semifinals.
Gregori finished with the silver medal after a narrow defeat in the gold-medal match. He followed that up with a fourth-place finish in the men’s team event and secured a team bronze medal at the World Archery Championships stage held in Madrid.
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