Is World Cup newcomer Er’rahmouni France’s next young star?

It may be nearly a year since Paris 2024, but for many, it still feels like yesterday.

The steady rhythm of international events since Les Invalides – from the World Archery Field Championships in Lac La Biche, the World Archery 3D Championships in Mokrice and the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Tlaxcala, to the Indoor World Series and the start of a new outdoor  – has left little time to reflect on a whirlwind of drama, pain, adulation or clamour that an Olympic Games brings.

Even Brady Ellison was chasing world field gold just two weeks after his all-time-great Olympic final against Kim Woojin.

Now, the 2025 Hyundai Archery World Cup is in full swing, with Antalya wrapping up its 19th stage on the circuit last weekend. And with each new stage comes an opportunity to watch national teams renew themselves as we build towards LA28, offering emerging talents a chance to prove they belong among the world’s best.

France is one of those, and after a memorable time in their capital last year – where the recurve men’s team and Lisa Barbelin picked up Olympic silver and bronze – the nation too has bled in youngsters for the new season.

The 17-year-old Siham Er’rahmouni is one such talent.

A recurve archer from Auvergne, she was one of four athletes from the region on the French squad in Antalya – alongside Thomas Chirault, Barbelin and Caroline Lopez – and made her World Cup debut in Türkiye.

“Being part of the French senior team has always been in the back of my mind,” said Er’rahmouni, who lost in the second round of the individual competition to Quinty Roeffen. “But it’s true that my selection for this competition was a bit of a surprise.”

“I take this as a great opportunity to compete against great champions and to gain as much experience as possible for my future senior competitions, I hope.”

Though her debut in Türkiye didn’t come with a deep run, her recent results help explain her rapid rise.

Er’rahmouni took silver at the European Youth Championships in the under-18 category last year following her gold at the 2023 Sud de France indoor tournament in under-21 – when she was just 15.

At the Spring Arrows European Grand Prix in April, also in Antalya and her first senior international event, she reached the quarterfinals, beating both world number six Penny Healey and Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Lucilla Boari.

“I train every day so that when I compete, I’m in the best possible condition to have fun, perform at my level and gain experience,” she replied, when asked why she thinks she’s been able to excel so quickly. “I think that’s how I progress, even though I still have a lot to learn.”

“I think I am mature enough for my age, which allows me to progress and feel quite comfortable among seniors.”

Er’rahmouni trains at Les Archers Riomois, the same club that produced Barbelin, Lopez, Rio 2016 Olympian Lucas Daniel and 2018 World Archery Indoor Championships bronze medallist Audrey Adiceom. 

Another reason to believe the 17-year-old will reach the dizzy heights of archery?

“Riom is a very large club that trains a lot of archers from a very young age, with Henry Baudry as the club’s professional coach,” she explained. “I trained with him from age nine to 15 and learned a lot there.”

“Having Lisa and Caroline on the team is really cool. In addition to being very good archers who help me a lot with the experience, they are also good friends with whom I often have the opportunity to shoot as a team with my club.”

Er’rahmouni picked up a bow for the first time at six, inspired by the Disney movie Brave, and has never looked back.

With strong support from her family combined with the rich history of Riomois’ past in producing world level athletes and a clear sense of maturity, she has already made her mark at the senior level – and may be on her way to following in the footsteps of France’s best.

On the men’s side, 18-year-old Olympic team silver medallist Baptiste Addis has already embraced that role. He added his first individual World Cup medal – bronze – last week in Antalya.

Now, the path is open for Er’rahmouni to do the same.