Mijno breaks eight-year-old para world record with 674 qualification

Italian Paralympian Elisabetta Mijno, the reigning European Para Archery Champion, began her title defence in style yesterday in Rotterdam, setting a new world record by shooting 674 points and topping recurve women’s qualification at the multisport European Para Championships.

The score was 24 more than Mijno had ever previously shot for the 72-arrow 70-metre round in international competition – and 17 points more than the previous world record, which was set by three-time Paralympic Champion Zahra Nemati in 2015.

“This is a good omen,” the 37-year-old said afterwards. “I set specific goals for this competition and I’m glad they went well. Achieving the world record was an added bonus. I’m very happy.”

A four-time Paralympian, Mijno was individual runner-up at the Games in 2012 and took mixed team silver with Stefano Travisani at Tokyo 2020.

“My aim is to consistently perform better, to savour the small victories that come day by day and to avoid getting sidetracked,” she said. “I believe in taking things one step at a time. But My goal is to reap the reward of my labour and come back happy with a smile.”

Archery is on the programme of the first European Para Championships – a multisport event combining continental events across 10 sports.

Alongside Mijno, her Italian teammates Matteo Bonacina and Asia Pellizzari, Türkiye’s Öznur Cüre and Bahattin Hekimoglu, and Guillaume Toucoullet of France secured the individual top seeds after Tuesday’s qualification rounds. The visually impaired competition starts on Thursday.

Competition runs through finals at the Kop van Zuid on Sunday. Ten quota places for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games are available.