Turkish teen Gokkir trumps 2023 World champion Horackova in Antalya

Elif Gokkir delivered under scoreboard pressure to win the recurve women’s individual gold at the European Grand Prix Spring Arrows in Antalya.

The final marked the first meeting between the two athletes, who had already set the tone earlier in the week by finishing Wednesday's qualification as the top two seeds – Marie Horackova leading the field on 674, a score bettered only by three men’s athletes across both recurve categories, while Gokkir followed closely with 668.

As she had done four days prior, Horackova started strongly at the Antalya Centennial Centre, opening with a 30-point set to edge the first end.

It was a confident display to begin with from the Czech archer, competing in her first outdoor international event of the year, but unfortunately for her it would be the last time in the match she would win an end.

The second set finished tied at 28-28 before both athletes matched each other arrow-for-arrow in a 29-29 split in the third, leaving the match finely balanced at 3-3.

The fourth set therefore felt like it would be the most defining – and it was.

2024 European Youth gold medallist Gokkir delivered her only perfect 30, taking her total number of 10s up to nine, while the 2023 World champion Horackova shot back-to-back high eights, one on the left-hand side and one to the right.

Her form did not look any different than in the opening set, but clearly something was amiss as she looked troubled after giving up her lead for the first time in the contest.

It bled into the fifth as her following arrow landed low, very low into the seven-ring, leaving her with an unlikely mountain to climb, as steep as the ones that surround the Turkish city of Antalya.

19-year-old Gokkir maintained her composure in the fifth, closing out the match 28-26 to seal victory and the title – her second individual international gold, following the 2024 Conquest Cup which was held in her hometown of Istanbul.

Whilst the quick spiral will frustrate Horackova, the win continues a positive run of form for Gokkir, who grabbed her maiden World Cup medals in Puebla earlier this month as part of Türkiye’s women’s team [silver] and mixed team [bronze].

She triumphed in the latter event in Antalya as well, as she and Berkay Akkoyun defeated Great Britain’s Megan Costall and Alex Sillitoe Price 5-4 to take the mixed team title.

Lorenzo Gubbini went one better and secured a medal in all three of his events.

In his second season in Italy’s compound men’s team, Spring Arrows is turning into a favourable hunting ground for Gubbini, whose successful defence of compound men’s individual and team golds in 2026 from last year, plus the compound mixed team bronze alongside Giulia Di Nardo, takes his total number of medals in Antalya to five.

“That felt great,” said a smiling Gubbini, who cheerfully cupped his hands to his supporting Italian teammates in the crowd, asking for more noise after beating Przemyslaw Konecki. “I’m very grateful. That’s [European Championships] the main goal of the season and I can’t wait to be there.”

And where are the European Outdoor Championships 2026? Back in Antalya from 18–24 May, where both Gokkir and Gubbini will be hoping to replicate Sunday’s successes.

You can watch back all the finals action from the Spring Arrows 2026 on archery+.

Winners: Spring Arrows 2026

Full results are available on the event page. 

• Recurve men: Nicholas D’Amour, USA
• Recurve women: Elif Gokkir, Türkiye 
• Compound men: Lorenzo Gubbini, Italy
• Compound women: Defne Cakmak, Türkiye