{"id":8161,"date":"2026-01-19T08:43:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T01:43:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/?p=8161"},"modified":"2026-01-19T08:44:32","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T01:44:32","slug":"world-champion-mediel-takes-season-opener-in-shoot-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/world-champion-mediel-takes-season-opener-in-shoot-off\/","title":{"rendered":"World champion Mediel takes season opener in shoot-off"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Reigning recurve men\u2019s world champion Andres Temi\u00f1o Mediel made a seamless transition to indoor archery as he won the Nimes Archery Tournament, his first appearance of the 2026 World Archery indoor season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Spaniard pipped Chinese Taipei\u2019s Wei Chun-Heng via a shoot-off to top the podium at Le Parnasse Hall, claiming his first senior gold ever in the Indoor World Series – he had previously won silver in the under-21 category at Nimes 2024 and bronze at the World Series Youth Finals also in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both archers shot fantastically in France, as they had done on Saturday when they knocked out the weekend\u2019s top two seeds \u2014 Mediel against Marcus D\u2019Almeida [1] in the semi-finals and Chun-Heng against Thomas Chirault [2] in the quarter-finals \u2014 averaging 9.94 per arrow from the 16 they shot, with four perfect ends out of five.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games silver medallist Chun-Heng dropped the first nine of the match in the second set, it felt like the momentum had shifted when Mediel dragged his shot just wide to the right into the nine ring in the fourth, ruining the narrow lead he had built to make it 4\u20134.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surely, on his first appearance on the international indoor circuit this season, there would be a small element of panic after a faltering shot in a match decided by such tight margins?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Absolutely not. The 21-year-old didn\u2019t let any potential rust get the better of him, dropping his next three shafts into the 10 \u2014 as did Chun-Heng \u2014 to force a shoot-off, where his winning arrow landed a few centimetres closer to the centre than his Taipei counterpart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was a bit nervous, the pressure got to me, and I shot a nine,\u201d added Mediel when asked about his only nine of the match. It\u2019s been quite a job getting here in good shape. The truth is, after the World Championship, I\u2019ve had more confidence in myself when shooting, but above all else I\u2019m really enjoying it \u2014 every training session, every competition, and especially being in the present moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shout of \u201cVamos!\u201d at the end was very reminiscent of when he defeated world number two D\u2019Almeida in Gwangju four months ago, similarly in a shoot-off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will be the last time we see Mediel at 18 metres, however, despite gaining a valuable 1000 points in Nimes, as Puebla, Mexico – for the first stage of the 2026 Hyundai World Cup – is where archery fans can expect to see him next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What also felt like d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu was Lisa Barbelin\u2019s bronze medal match against Czechia\u2019s Marie Horackova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as she was in Paris 2024 against Jeon Hunyoung, underdog Barbelin pushed one of the tournament favourites \u2014 Horackova was the recurve women\u2019s top seed in Nimes \u2014 to a fifth set, but this time had to mount a comeback after falling behind 4\u20131 after three sets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buoyed by the home crowd, the French Olympic medallist maintained her consistency by shooting two 29s in the final two sets, while Berlin 2023 world champion Horackova stuttered with a 27 and a 28, causing a cacophony of applause in Le Parnasse Hall, as it was in Les Invalides 18 months ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was more joy for France in the following match when Victoria Sebastian – who hails from the southern French city – defeated Angela Ruiz of Mexico 7\u20133 to take her second gold of the 2026 Indoor World Series, following her Taipei Archery Open triumph in December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it’s the first time in seven years that someone from Nimes has won Nimes so I’m really happy about that and also what’s coming next and the experience I gained,\u201d said Sebastian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merida, Mexico, hosts the next and penultimate stage of the Indoor World Series before the indoor season closer at The Vegas Shoot from 13\u201315 February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winners – Nimes Archery Tournament 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n