Cakmak's clean domination in compound women's under-21
Defne Cakmak displayed remarkable consistency in her gold medal match at the Rome 2026 European Youth Championships. She landed six perfect X-rings and avoided shooting any arrow lower than a nine-point score, finishing with a 145-140 victory over Begum Yuva. The final was a testament to Cakmak’s skill and composure. Both athletes had advanced through qualifiers as top seeds, but Cakmak’s ability to adjust to the changing weather—specifically, the southerly breeze—proved decisive. The two only tied in two of the ends, and Yuva struggled to close the gap throughout the match.
Yenihayat surges in the last two ends to win gold
Dunya Yenihayat overcame a challenging match to claim gold in the recurve under-18 women’s category. After falling behind 4-2 at the halfway point, the 17-year-old found her rhythm in the final two ends. She scored a flawless 30 in the sixth end, followed by a strong 29 in the final end, securing a 6-4 win over Ukraine’s Anna Anisimova. Yenihayat had entered the final as a clear favorite, having posted a 24-point lead in the qualifying rounds. However, the middle two ends nearly cost her, as Anisimova outscored her 25-26 and 26-27 in those frames. Her ability to recover and deliver under pressure showed her maturity and talent.
Türkiye dominates youth archery as competitors gain senior experience
Cakmak and Yenihayat are not new to the international stage. Cakmak, the reigning European Indoor compound under-21 women champion, already has senior competition experience, including participation in World Cups, European Grand Prix events, and the 2026 European Outdoor Championships. She has competed in seven events this year as part of Türkiye’s national compound women’s team. Yenihayat, who won bronze at the 2023 World Archery Youth Championships in Limerick, joined Türkiye’s senior recurve women’s squad at just 14 years old. Her early exposure to high-level competition has clearly benefited her development.
Türkiye’s performance in Rome was nothing short of impressive. The country secured multiple gold medals, including the compound under-18 mixed team, recurve under-18 mixed team, and compound under-18 women’s team. Yenihayat participated in the mixed team alongside other teammates, further highlighting her versatility and strength. Cakmak and Yenihayat each added their individual golds to the nation’s tally, contributing to Türkiye’s overall success at the event.
Full results from the Rome 2026 European Youth Championships, including categories such as barebow and other recurve and compound divisions, are available on the official event page. Other notable winners included Baptiste Addis of France in recurve under-21 men and Mila Fremery Delestan in recurve under-21 women. In the under-18 categories, Matija Smaguc of Croatia and Fenna Stallen of the Netherlands also claimed gold.
