2024 brought the Summer Paralympics back to Europe. Numerous European Para-archers took the opportunity to “Go for Gold” in Paris (FRA) – and some of them achieved it. Therefore, “European Women on the Podium” is World Archery Europe´s motto to celebrate the International Women´s Day on March 8 th , 2025.
The Para-archers competed in the Women´s and Men´s Individual Compound and Recurve Open as well as in the W1 competitions and in the Mixed teams of the same divisions. Twelve medals out of 27 went to European Para-archers, female Para-archers were involved in eleven of them.
Oznur CURE GIRDI (TUR), who had also been first after qualification, was the only European who took Gold in an individual competition. On her way to the Gold final, she had beaten Jodie GRINHAM (GBR) in the semifinals. Jodie made Bronze in the end against her teammate Phoebe PATERSON PINE (GBR). That wouldn´t be Jodie´s only Paralympic medal.
The semifinals of the Women´s Individual W1 also saw two Para-archers of the same country. Like Phoebe, Tereza BRANDTLOVA (CZE) had to admit defeat to a teammate, Sarka PULTAR MUSILOVA (CZE). However, Tereza won the Bronze medal match and as Sarka won Silver, CZE left Paris with two Paralympic medals.
The sixth medal for European women in the individual competitions was won by an Italian Para-archer. Having lost against WU Yang (CHN) in the semifinal of the Women´s Individual Recurve Open division, Elisabetta MIJNO (ITA) won against Selengee DEMBEREL (MGL) and gained the Bronze.
Like Jodie and Sarka, Elisabetta also won a medal in the Mixed Team event. Together with Stefano TRAVISANI (ITA), they took the top step of the Paris Paralympics winner’s podium to receive the Goldmedal in the Mixed Team Recurve Open, a podium occupied only by Europeans. Silver went to Merve Nur EROGLU and Sadik SAVAS (TUR), whereas Ziva LAVRINC and Dejan FABCIC brought Bronze back home to SLO.
Europeans also won Silver and Bronze in the Mixed Team W1. Sarka took her second silver medal – here together with David DRAHONINSKY (CZE), whereas Daila DAMENO and Paolo TONON secured the third medal for Italy.
Last but not least, another Mixed Team Gold went to Europe. The top step of the Mixed Team Compound Open podium was taken by Jodie with her Mixed Team partner Nathan MACQUEEN (GBR) – and Jodie´s unborn child.
Beside the Paralympic medals, European female Para-archers achieved some more remarkable sporting success. Already in the qualification round, Oznur had shot a new world record in the Women´s Individual Compound Open (score 704), like Sarka in the Women´s Individual W 1 (Score 659).
Some of the Para-archers who have already been mentioned and also other female Para-archers left Paris with personal best scores, like Jodie (score 693) and Julie RIGAULT CHUPIN (FRA, score 689) in Compound Open, Selengee (score 622) and Ziva (score 588) in Recurve Open, and Victoria KINGSTONE (GBR, score 608) in W1.European Women on the Podium II – Paralympic Games Paris 2024
These women are shining examples of overcoming adversity and have turned years of dedication into medals and personal bests on the biggest stage. Congratulations to all our European Women on the Podium!
Bettina KRATZMUELLER
WAE Gender Equity Liaison
Vienna, March 8 th , 2025