News

Isabel Fernandez Jimenez wins maiden major in W1 at 2026 European Championships

3 May 2026

Rome, Italy

Real name:

There was a significant upset at the Rome 2026 European Para Archery Championships in the W1 women’s event, as Spain’s Isabel Fernandez Jimenez beat world number one and top seed Sarka Pultar Musilova of Czechia, 6-4, to win the continental title at the historic Nando Martellini Stadium.

It was the third time in a year that the two had faced each other, following meetings in Nove Mesto and Gwangju. On both previous occasions (scored on total), the Czech had powered to victory. Pultar Musilova had also qualified as top seed on Tuesday by a commanding margin of 37 points.

This time, using the set system, the match initially followed a similar pattern, with Musilova taking a 4-2 lead. However, a poor opening arrow in the fourth set saw the scores levelled, forcing a decider. Fernandez Jimenez then delivered a nine, eight, nine to secure the win and her first major title. It’s her second gold medal in the Eternal City, following victory at the 2025 European Para Archery Cup.

The W1 men’s title was won by Italy’s Paolo Tonon, who also claimed victory in Nove Mesto last year.

As expected, home favourite Elisabetta Mijno secured a fifth European title in the recurve women’s individual event, beating second seed Ziva Lavrinc of Slovenia, 7-1, in a dominant performance.

France’s Guillaume Toucoullet won the recurve men’s title in a tight, high-quality match. Toucoullet, who shoots with a mouth release, has won multiple medals since his international debut in 2019, including gold in Nove Mesto in 2025, but this marks both his first European title and first major.

Paris 2024 Paralympic Champion Oznur Cure Girdi claimed a second European title, adding to her victory in 2024, while London 2012 winner Jere Forsberg rolled back the years to also take his second continental win, having first won in 2022.

In the visually impaired 1 category, 2023 world champion Matteo Panariello delivered another European title for the host nation, beating 2025 world champion Christos Misos of Greece, 7-4.

In visually impaired 2, Great Britain’s Nicholas Thomas, the world number one and reigning world champion, edged Italy’s Daniele Piran, 6-4, to take gold.

Attention now turns to the next stage of the World Archery Para Series in Nove Mesto, Czechia, at the end of June. A full-strength international field is expected across recurve, compound and W1, with the Asian Para Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 set to be a key focus for many athletes later in the season.