Great Britain just edged out India and Italy at the top of the medal table as Rome 2025 wrapped up on Saturday with gold medal finals across multiple individual and team categories at the Stadio dei Marmi.
The biggest scalp of the day was India’s Rakesh Kumar. The highest ranked archer coming into the event – but seeded third here – upset favourite Nathan MacQueen of Great Britain in the compound men’s final.
Kumar found the gears precisely when needed to pressure the experienced MacQueen, a Paralympic gold medallist.
“It feels very good, coming all the way from India, from a small village in Katra and coming here to win a gold medal and doing it with the last three arrows being 10-10-10.” said Rakesh. “It’s just a very good feeling.”
Last year, the Indian archer finished in an agonising fourth place in the individual Olympic competition in Paris but claimed mixed team bronze with Sheetal Devi. He was also part of the Indian pair that won mixed team gold at the 2023 World Archery Para Championships.
It wasn’t be the last time that day India edged out Great Britain, as Dhanna Ram Godara pushed out Cameron Radigan for gold, 7-3, in a five-set recurve men’s final.
Meanwhile, Poland’s Milena Olszewska, a Rio 2016 Paralympic bronze medallist, secured her first major win since 2018, beating Dorothea Poimenidou in the recurve women’s final.
