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Pitman, Hicks defend European field titles as Great Britain makes breakthrough

21 septembre 2025

Walbrzych-Ksiaz, Poland

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Oliver Hicks and Bryony Pitman of Great Britain both successfully defended their European field titles – in under-21 barebow men and recurve women respectively – at the Walbrzych-Ksiaz 2025 European Field Championships on Saturday 20 September.

Both had also triumphed two years ago in Cesana Sansicario, and their repeat victories headlined a breakthrough set of results for the British squad across senior and under-21 categories. Great Britain climbed to second in the medal table behind Italy, collecting four individual and three team golds, with maiden international titles for Emelia Hughes and Isabella Bruguier.

Pitman trailed Aurélie Autret by a point going into the last target but the Frenchwoman dropped three with her first two arrows. The 28-year-old, who recently retired from elite target competition to begin a new career, was ecstatic.

“I started full-time work in February and obviously training looks very different these days so, yeah, to come away with another gold medal here is just incredible,” said Pitman.

“This week, I just wanted to enjoy every day, make the best shots I could and see where it got me. And, you know, sometimes that’s the best way to do archery.”

Hicks, Britain’s top barebow archer at just 18, was equally delighted.

“It feels so good. Last year I was losing to Ludvig Rohlin, so I wanted to get revenge this week, just win, and I’m really pleased I’ve done so. Both times at the Europeans, in qualification I’ve scored higher than all the men, so I’m really happy with how I’ve been shooting.”

The teenager, who begins a computer science degree next week, plans to combine studying with his archery career.

In senior compound men, top seed Mathias Fullerton was clinical in the final, beating Italy’s Federico Pagnoni 69-63 after overturning France’s Nicolas Girard – who had defeated him in Gwangju – in the semifinals.

The compound women’s final produced one of the few surprises of the week, as Croatia’s Amanda Mlinaric edged out Great Britain’s Ella Gibson in a shoot-off after both finished on 68. The pair actually averaged higher than their male counterparts on the day.

While not a seismic upset – Mlinaric was runner-up at the 2024 World Archery Field Championships with Gibson third – it extended a recent pattern. Gibson, still ranked world number two, has only one outdoor individual victory so far in 2025.