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Dutch women, Italian men qualify teams to Paris 2024 Olympic Games

10 May 2024

Essen, Germany

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Dutch women celebrate winning an Olympic quota place.

The Netherlands recurve women and the Italian recurve men will officially win Olympic team quota places when the European Championships closes on Sunday.

Both squads qualified for their respective finals – and both will face France, the host nation of Paris 2024, which already has a full team booked for its home Games. The tickets reserved for the winners here in Essen are guaranteed for the other finalists, no matter the outcome of the gold medal matches.

“The team means everything to me,” said Gaby Schloesser, who is on course for her third Olympics.

The 30-year-old represented Mexico at Rio 2016 and then won a team silver medal for the Netherlands in the mixed team event at Tokyo 2020.

“Last year it was very bitter to miss the team ticket at the world championships. It feels incredible now and on Sunday we are ready to win gold.”

This Dutch trio finished fourth one year ago in Berlin, where Germany won the world title.

Today, Schloesser, Quinty Roeffen and Laura van der Winkel found new quality as they upset the top-seeded Germans in the semifinal, shooting two opening 57-point sets to put themselves in a commanding lead before firmly closing the match in the third.

On the other end of the field, their male teammates were locked in a tussle with Italy, a clash the Dutch men would ultimately lose.

The two squads were tied at 3-3 after three sets and the Dutch men closed with a 57.

Italy had 38 points on the board, with Mauro Nespoli and Federico Musolesi’s four arrows already downrange. Alessandro Paoli rose to the occasion, putting down two 10s and roaring in celebration.

“The last end was incredible,” said Nespoli, who won Olympic team gold in 2012 and was individual runner-up last time in Tokyo.

“I was terrified during all the matches. My teammates were amazing and shot very well, better than me. Qualification is so important, the last time [at the Games], I was alone.”

Mauro dropped to the ground at the target, burying his face in his hands.

“It will be my fifth Games and it is very emotional for me,” he said. “I need more time to understand.”

The qualifying journeys for these two European nations are mirror images.

Both finished fourth at the last world championships, both had archers in the individual qualification event held earlier this week in Essen – and both entered today’s bracket without an Olympic quota.

But both finished the day with tickets to Paris 2024.

Competition continues at the European Championships with compound finals on Saturday in Essen.