Young Berkay Akkoyun gets new qualification personal best at 2026 Spring Arrows

Berkay Akkoyun produced a standout performance in qualification at the European Grand Prix Spring Arrows  – as he did last year – to take top seed in the recurve men category.

The Lilleshall 2022 European Youth champion posted a personal best at an international competition of 681, an impressive six more points than teammate and Tokyo 2020 victor Mete Gazoz in Antalya.

As is often the case, there was a moderately light breeze throughout the day in the southern Turkish city, which tested athletes from the start, causing there to be little chance of any recurvers hitting the 700 mark. 

Consistency therefore was heightened even more so in non-perfect shooting conditions and Akkoyun delivered it best out of the 89-strong field, with a 339 after 36 arrows and then 342 in the second half, despite Germany's Jonathan Vetter [666] getting three more Xs and Hungary's Matyas Laszlo Balogh [678] four more 10s across the day.

Still only 20, Akkoyun's fine score demonstrates he is in arguably his richest vein of form at present, coming off the back of his maiden World Cup medal, where he, Gazoz and Berkim Tumer took silver in Puebla in the men’s team event.

He was in the exact same position last year at the annual Spring Arrows - with a 679 which was his best before Wednesday - but exited the 2025 individuals in the semifinal to Arsalan Baldanov before losing the bronze medal match to Mathias Kramer, both bruising 6-0 losses.

Having come so close to an individual medal at an international shooting line, Akkoyun will no doubt be desperate to make the most of the opportunity this time as top seed, especially now that the top eight archers automatically go straight to the fourth round.

In recurve women, 2023 world champion Marie Horackova – who missed the Vegas Shoot and Puebla – returned to international competition in style, securing pole position with a brilliant 674.

It's a score that would have been competitive in the men’s field also, with only three recurve men surpassing her total on the day – Akkoyun, Gazoz and Tumer [both 675].

With top seeds now decided, attention turns to eliminations and teams on Thursday, beginning with team elimination and bronze medal matches in the morning before the compound final fours are decided in the afternoon.