Elif Gokkir delivered under scoreboard pressure to win recurve women’s individual gold at the European Grand Prix Spring Arrows in Antalya, beating 2023 World Archery Champion Marie Horackova.
The final marked the first meeting between the two athletes, who had already set the tone earlier in the week by finishing Wednesday’s qualification as the top two seeds. Horackova led the field on 674 – a score bettered only by three men across both recurve categories – while Gokkir followed closely with 668.
As she had done four days earlier, Horackova started strongly at the Antalya Centennial Centre, opening with a 30-point set to take the first end.
It was a confident start from the Czech archer, competing in her first outdoor international event of the year, but it would be the last time in the match she won a set.
The second finished tied at 28-28, before both athletes matched each other arrow-for-arrow in a 29-29 third, leaving the match level at 3-3.
The fourth set felt decisive – and it was.
2024 European Youth Championships gold medallist Gokkir delivered her only perfect 30, taking her total number of 10s to nine, while Horackova shot back-to-back high eights, one left and one right.
Horackova’s form looked no different to the opening set, but something was clearly amiss as she reacted after surrendering the lead for the first time.
It carried into the fifth, as her next arrow landed low into the seven, leaving her with an unlikely mountain to climb.
The 19-year-old Gokkir held her composure, closing out the match 28-26 to seal victory and the title – her second individual international gold, following the 2024 Conquest Cup in her hometown of Istanbul.
