Actualités

Borsani and Barankova take first time World Games recurve titles in Chengdu

13 août 2025

Chengdu, China

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Matteo Borsani of Italy and Denisa Barankova of Slovakia became the new World Games champions after wins on recurve finals day at Chengdu 2025.

Each reached the final four after strong performances in qualification, with Borsani as the top men’s seed and Barankova as the second women’s seed.

Just two matches of four targets each stood between them and the title – but on a windless afternoon in Chengdu, with the temperature in the shade pushing 37°C, winning through would be a huge challenge for anyone.

In the women’s competition, the favourite and top seed Elisa Tartler fell at the first hurdle to defending champion Chiara Rebagliati in a scrappy opening match where neither managed to gain an edge. A shoot-off at the last target ultimately decided the winner.

Barankova survived a scare against Roberta Di Francesco to make the final, with the Italian’s inconsistency costing her the match. Two points down going into the last target, Barankova shot six, five and six to Di Francesco’s triple four to win 59-56 and book her place in the gold medal match.

In the final, the two-time Olympian led from the start, with an inconsistent Rebagliati never looking at her confident best and opening with a wayward two. Despite rallying on the last 50-metre target, the Italian was destined for silver.

It was Barankova‘s first gold medal at her second World Games.

“I cannot really believe it right now, but the feeling is nice,” said the 23-year-old.

Twice a runner-up at the European Field Championships and a multiple medallist indoors, this was the biggest win of the Slovakian’s career.

“I was very excited about the medal. When we were coming to China, I was like ‘I really want that medal’. I was just trying to stay focused and in the moment, which helped a lot.”

“I expected the course to be more difficult – maybe some more podiums to shoot from – but it was pretty flat. The humidity and warmth were the most challenging things today,” Barankova analysed.

“I’m really happy because finally I got another medal in the World Games,” said Rebagliati on her silver. “I tried to defend my last title, but the first arrow was not so good. I want to give a lot of congratulations to Denisa for the gold, but I’m proud of myself for this medal.”

In the bronze medal match, Di Francesco defeated the unlucky top seed Tartler for the last spot on the podium, 61-56 – the best score of the day.

“I want to say thank you to the Italian government for giving me this fantastic opportunity to make my dream happen, for giving me the opportunity to train every day,” said Di Francesco, who is part of the national military sports programme.

The men’s competition seemed to be Borsani’s for the taking.

The bronze medallist at the 2023 European Field Championships had posted an astonishing exhibition score of 95 on Tuesday – a number most compound field archers would be happy with on a course like this – which was the talk of the athlete’s village.

First, he had to get past the Netherlands’ Willem Bakker, who had impressed the previous day with an escape-artist performance against young Chinese talent Cui Jingxuan. Consistent shooting on all four targets – especially the second, a tricky 20cm bunny – took Borsani through, 61-57.

He would face Britain’s Patrick Huston, no stranger to the business end of field competitions, who had knocked out defending champion Florian Unruh, 64-61, in the highest-scoring match of the day.

With temperatures creeping even higher, Huston led by a point after the first two targets in the final, but Borsani produced a masterful six, six and five on the third – a 25-metre cross-slope with a 40cm face – to take the lead.

At the last target, a 50m downhill to an 80cm face, he sealed the win with another strong end, while a wayward final arrow from Huston confirmed the result.

It was the biggest victory of Borsani’s career, which has seen success in both target and field archery.

“It’s what I do best, you know,” said the Italian. “On the last target, because I shot the first arrow in the five, I moved my sight and shot a six. I thought, ‘It’s okay, I’ll shoot another six and win.”

“I’m excited for this. My next goal is the world championship in Korea.”

He also expressed satisfaction with his silver medal while paying tribute to his opponent.

“I‘m really, really pleased to be coming home with this. It’s a massive event,” said the 29-year-old Briton. “Matteo has done some incredible archery this week, like record-setting levels of archery.”

“To go out on that field and then be nip and tuck, back and forth with him, I’m really proud of that. It was a fantastic match and close right to the very end.”

The men’s bronze went to Bakker after a high-quality encounter with Unruh, which the Dutchman edged 60-59. Bakker cleaned the first end and never looked back, claiming his second major senior field medal after winning the 2023 European Field Championships.

This concludes the recurve phase of the competition. The barebow event begins Thursday 14 August.