News

Former world champion Horackova keeps up indoor season form with pole in Nimes

17 January 2026

Nimes, France

Real name:

Marie Horackova kept up her impressive 2026 indoor season form as she topped qualification by two points in the recurve women category at the Nimes Archery Tournament.

The 2023 World champion shot 593, including 53 of her 60 arrows landing in the 10-ring, with Elia Canales not far behind in second with another fine score of 591.

Horackova, 28, began the 2026 Indoor World Series at the Swiss Open Lausanne 2025 with gold and, at the prestigious Kings of Archery tournament back in November, was the only recurve woman to shoot a perfect 900 score. Her score last night was just one point off the European record at 18 metres.

“I have to say I’m very satisfied but also a bit sad because it was just one point to shoot the European record, but I like this tournament, so I’m enjoying it a lot,” she said afterwards.

Nîmes is of heightened importance this year as it is the only 1000-point tournament of the revamped Indoor World Series before the finale in Las Vegas, which will not host the Indoor World Series Finals as it has done previously but solely The Vegas Shoot.

Currently, Horackova is one of four joint leaders atop this season’s standings on 250 points from her gold in Lausanne, alongside Canales (GT Open winner), Ana Luiz Sliachticas Caetano (Rio Indoor 250 winner) and Victoria Sebastian (Taipei Archery Open winner).

Should any one of these four get their hands on the coveted gold at Le Parnasse on Sunday, it would put them within touching distance of being crowned the 2026 indoor recurve queen, and Czechia’s Horackova has given herself the best possible chance.

France’s Louise Botte stands in her way first when eliminations begin this evening.

The five qualification sessions also saw Gaby Schloesser finish inside the top 10 of the recurve women.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games mixed team silver medallist from the Netherlands gave birth for the first time last year and has openly talked about her physical recovery from pregnancy and how she is balancing archery with motherhood.

An eighth seed in Nimes, it is the third time the 31-year-old has found herself back among the top 10 at indoor events, following eighth in Lausanne and sixth in Strassen, laying claim that she is well and truly getting back to her best.

“I feel obviously a little bit weak,” commented Schloesser after shooting 585 with 46 10s, her highest score of the season. “I don’t have the time right now to shoot all the arrows I shot before. I feel like I could do better, but it’s getting used to the new routine and the new way of training.

“I feel more secure about myself being capable of shooting arrows and hitting the middle, but I think I just need to put a couple more arrows behind the bow.”

The fate of the medal finals, which will be broadcast live on archery+ on Sunday, is currently being decided in Nîmes, with compound eliminations taking place in the Parc Expo Hall and recurve in Le Parnasse Hall.