France’s rising recurve star Victoria Sebastian captured her first senior individual crown at the Taipei Archery Open in December 2025, sealing a breakthrough indoor season that confirmed her potential at the highest level.
The 21-year-old from Nîmes credited her composed approach for the victory.
“I stayed focused on my process, with rigour on every arrow, while keeping a playful mindset,” she said.
The win came despite a stressful start: her bow arrived only 30 minutes before qualification, forcing her to reset mentally midway through.
Sebastian was part of a strong French contingent, with Baptiste Addis taking men’s bronze and Jean-Charles Valladont securing silver. Remarkably, all three train at Arc Club de Nîmes, a powerhouse that has produced elite archers for decades.
She highlighted the supportive group dynamic: training together daily helped create “a good atmosphere and strong synergy” toward success.
Sebastian first picked up archery at age eight during a family vacation. Her rapid rise took her through the French youth programme, culminating in World Youth gold in 2021 and then national team selection in 2023. She narrowly missed the Paris 2024 Olympic team but calls tenacity her greatest strength.
Strong indoor performances followed in early 2025 – bronze in Nîmes, silver at the European Indoors in Samsun, and another silver at the Vegas Shoot. The Taipei title required defeating three Koreans, including reigning world champion Kang Chaeyoung.
As she refines technique and builds consistency between indoor and 70-metre outdoor distances, Sebastian views winter competitions as preparation for her main focus: the outdoor season, and ultimately, the Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
With confidence growing and goals firmly set, Sebastian’s breakthrough looks like just the beginning.
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