All four reigning European champions return to try and go back-to-back
The stage is set as more than 300 archers from 41 countries descend on the Antalya field looking for titles at one of the sport’s most prestigious and long-running major events – alongside coveted quota places for the Istanbul 2027 European Games.
As archers step onto the shooting line for qualification on Tuesday, we take a look at how Europe’s reigning individual champions from Essen 2024 have fared over the past two years.
Will experience reign supreme, or is Europe ready to crown a new generation of archery royalty?
Recurve men: Mete Gazoz
When Mete Gazoz won gold in Essen in May 2024, he achieved something truly extraordinary – becoming the first archer in history to hold the Olympic, world and European titles simultaneously.
Since that historic moment, the Turkish superstar has remained a major force on the global stage – even if the hometown hero is now holding only the final leg of that remarkable triple crown.
While hopes of defending his Olympic title at Paris 2024 were dashed in a difficult individual bracket, ending in the quarterfinals, Gazoz still led Türkiye to bronze in the men’s team event – a goal coach Yusuf Goktug Ergin had spoken about pursuing immediately after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
In 2025, Gazoz maintained his elite status with European indoor team silver and individual gold at the Spring Arrows tournament. Now in 2026, he arrives in Antalya with both form and experience on his side after winning mixed team, team and individual bronze medals at the Shanghai stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup earlier this month, alongside bronze in Puebla.
It is perhaps a slightly different Mete from five years ago – more leader than prodigy. There is plenty of discussion around the new wave of Turkish archers emerging through the ranks, but the country’s most famous archer remains right at the centre of it all.
Another title on home soil would be a monumental addition to his story – and he might just be the favourite.
Recurve women: Katharina Bauer
Katharina Bauer’s triumph in Essen represented a pinnacle moment, confirming her position as Europe’s leading recurve woman heading into Paris 2024 – although the Olympic Games themselves did not quite unfold as hoped.
The German finished 27th in qualification before suffering a tough first-round exit in the individual eliminations, while Germany also bowed out in the women’s team quarterfinals.
Since then, it has perhaps not been the most spectacular couple of years for the now 30-year-old, despite a solid run of top-10 finishes indoors and outdoors.
She did, however, claim bronze at this year’s European Grand Prix Spring Arrows, losing only to Marie Horackova. Has she peaked again at exactly the right time?
The European Championships in Antalya offer Bauer a familiar stage on which to reassert her continental dominance. Defending her title here would be quite the statement of resilience and class.
Compound men: Mathias Fullerton
Since Essen, Mathias Fullerton’s trajectory has felt almost entirely upward.
The Dane narrowly missed out on a first outdoor world title at the Gwangju 2025 Hyundai World Archery Championships, losing to Nicolas Girard in the final, although even that defeat oddly felt more like a blip in a sea of dominant performances.
In the middle of 2025, Fullerton took over the world number one spot from Mike Schloesser after victory at the European championships – a significant moment considering the Dutchman was still shooting at his very best.
He arrives in Antalya in frightening form after bouncing back instantly from disappointment at the Vegas Shoot – where, in elite compound terms, a single nine can feel like disaster – by winning the opening outdoor World Cup stage of the season in Puebla.
He did not follow that victory up in Shanghai, but he still shot an outstanding 717 out of 720 in qualification. The level is clearly still there.
It remains difficult to call a favourite among Europe’s leading compound men – Fullerton, Schloesser and Girard – but the “Mathias machine” keeps rolling.
He may well be the biggest scalp of all this week.
Compound women: Ella Gibson
Ella Gibson’s European title in Essen was hard-fought, secured in a dramatic shoot-off after a 144-144 tie with Italy’s Elisa Roner.
It was another example of Gibson delivering in the biggest moments – something that has become one of the defining traits of her career.
If 2024 represented her European breakthrough, the past two seasons have perhaps not been her most dominant outdoors, despite victory in Madrid. Andrea Becerra also overtook her as world number one following the Mexican’s superb 2025 campaign.
But one of the biggest achievements of Gibson’s career arrived just two months ago when she finally conquered the Vegas Shoot after finishing runner-up in 2024 and third in 2025.
The British archer triumphed in an unprecedented five-way women’s shootdown to secure one of the sport’s most prestigious indoor titles.
She did not open the 2026 outdoor World Cup season particularly strongly, but Gibson steps onto the line in Antalya with the same mentality she always carries – to win, dominate and defend.
Never be fooled by the smile.
