Defne Cakmak and Dunya Yenihayat became individual European youth champions on Saturday as part of an impressive gold medal haul by Türkiye at Rome 2026.
The reigning European Indoor compound under-21 women champion Cakmak met teammate Begum Yuva in the gold medal match at the Stadio Nando Martellini – both of whom were the top seeds following Tuesday’s qualification round – and, as she did in Plovdiv earlier this year, the 19-year-old trumped Begum, this time 145-140.
Number one seed Begum could not better her compatriot in Italy, failing to win a single end, and tying with her just twice – the third and last ends for both being 30 and 29.
Although this was a youth event, both athletes already have senior international experience on senior international shooting lines, and Cakmak has shot at seven events this year on Türkiye’s national compound women’s team, competing at World Cups, European Grand Prix events and the 2026 European Outdoor Championships 2026.
While Begum, also 19, has been in Türkiye’s squad too as recently as last year, Cakmak’s form paid dividends dividends as she handled the southerly breeze, without shooting a single eight in the match – compared to Begum’s three – and nailing the X-ring six times.
Yenihayat’s gold medal match in recurve under-18 women was a tighter affair.
The Limerick 2023 World Archery Youth Championships bronze medallist edged Ukraine’s Anna Anisimova 6-4 and cemented the result in the latter two ends with a perfect 30 and a 29.
Yenihayat – who has been on Türkiye’s senior recurve women’s squad since she was just 14 years old – was the overwhelming favourite, especially after putting 24 points between herself and the chasing pack in qualification, but was down 4-2 ter losing the middle two ends to Anisimova 25-26, 26-27 in the middle ends.
The resolve of the 17-year-old athlete, however, earned her maiden individual gold medal at any age group and Türkiye’s fifth gold medal in Rome, following victories in in compound under-18 mixed team, recurve under-18 mixed team [which featured Yenihayat], compound under-18 women’s team, as well as hers and Cakmak’s.
Winners: Rome 2026 European Youth Championships
Full results are available on the event page.
- Recurve under-21 men: Baptiste Addis, France
- Recurve under-21 women:Mila Fremery Delestan, France
- Recurve under-18 men:Matija Smaguc, Croatia
- Recurve under-18 women:Dunya Yenihayat, Türkiye
- Compound under-21 men: Noah Nuber, Germany
- Compound under-21 women: Defne Cakmak,Türkiye
- Compound under-18 men: Bert Smart,Great Britain
- Compound under-18 women: Fenna Stallen,Netherlands
- Barebow under-21 men: Oliver Hicks,Great Britain
- Barebow under-21 women: Evie Finnegan,Great Britain
