Success at European Indoor Champs for welsh archers

Eleven Welsh archers travelled to Waterford last week to compete in the 2026 European Indoor Archery Championships alongside over 400 other archers from 21 competing countries - and returned home with an impressive collection of medals, records, and standout performances.

In the Vet Ladies Bowhunter Limited style, Helen Hall struck gold with a superb performance, setting a new record in the Flint round, surpassing the previous record held by teammate Sandra Anderson. Sandra Anderson secured silver, completing a remarkable Welsh one-two. Mark Hall added to the tally with gold in the Bowhunter Limited Veteran category.

Barebow & Traditional success

Christine Williams competed in her first European competition and impressed with a gold medal in the Barebow Recurve.

Jeff Betsworth earned silver in Senior Barebow Recurve, setting a new Welsh record whilst Bern Kelly also claimed silver in the Senior Traditional Recurve with husband Mike taking the Bronze.

Bowhunter Unlimited

Phil Bailey narrowly missed out on gold, tying with his German opponent over three days and losing only on the count of x's achieved, Phil getting just four fewer.

Steve James delivered a strong performance to take silver in the Bowhunter Unlimited group whilst Annabel Stoneham shone in the Junior category, taking gold and setting a new Welsh record in the Flint round.

A special mention must go to Marijn Kampf, who was the only archer in the Welsh team shooting in the Historical Bow category with a bow he had made himself. In an extremely competitive group he was unlucky to narrowly miss out on a medal, but his performance and craftsmanship drew admiration from fellow competitors.

Overall, the championships proved to be a highly successful event for the Welsh team, showcasing both experienced competitors and promising new talent on the European stage.