European Archery Championships facts for kids

The European Archery Championships are exciting sports events where the best archers from all over Europe compete. Archery is a sport where people use a bow to shoot arrows at a target. These championships include different types of archery, like shooting outdoors, indoors, in fields, and even a special 3D style.

The main goal of these championships is to find the top archers in Europe. They are organized by World Archery Europe, which is the main group for archery in Europe.

History of the Championships

The European Archery Championships have a long history, starting way back in 1968. For many years, from 1968 to 2012, they were known as the European Mediterranean Archery Championships. This name included countries around the Mediterranean Sea.

Later, the name changed to simply the European Archery Championships. The organization that runs these events also changed names over time. The European and Mediterranean Archery Union (EMAU) was formed in 1988, and then in 2012, it became World Archery Europe (WAE). These changes helped make the championships even bigger and better organized.

Types of Championships

There are several different kinds of European Archery Championships, each with its own rules and challenges.

Outdoor Target Archery

Outdoor target archery is probably what you imagine when you think of archery. Competitors shoot arrows at targets placed outdoors, usually on a flat field. The targets have different colored rings, and archers try to hit the center for the most points.

Number	Year	Host city	Host country	Events
European Championship
1	1968	Reutte	Austria	4
2	1970	Hradec Králové	Czechoslovakia	4
3	1972	Walferdange	Luxembourg	4
4	1974	Zagreb	Yugoslavia	4
5	1976	Copenhagen	Denmark	4
6	1978	Stoneleigh	United Kingdom	4
Championship of Europe and the Mediterranean
7	1980	Compiègne	France	4
8	1982	Kecskemét	Hungary	4
9	1986	İzmir	Turkey	4
10	1988	Luxembourg	Luxembourg	4
11	1990	Barcelona	Spain	4
12	1992	Valletta	Malta	4
13	1994	Nymburk	Czech Republic	8
14	1996	Kranjska Gora	Slovenia	8
15	1998	Boé – Agen	France	8
16	2000	Antalya	Turkey	8
17	2002	Oulu	Finland	8
18	2004	Brussels	Belgium	8
19	2006	Athens	Greece	8
20	2008	Vittel	France	8
21	2010	Rovereto	Italy	10
22	2012	Amsterdam	Netherlands	10
European Championship
23	2014	Vagharshapat	Armenia	10
24	2016	Nottingham	United Kingdom	10
25	2018	Legnica	Poland	10
26	2021	Antalya	Turkey	10
27	2022	Munich	Germany	10
28	2024	Rhine-Ruhr	Germany	10

Indoor Archery

Indoor archery championships take place inside large halls or arenas. This means archers don't have to worry about wind or rain. The targets are usually closer than in outdoor events, making it a different kind of challenge.

Number	Year	Host City	Host Country	Events
1	1983	Falun	Sweden	4
2	1985	Odense	Denmark	4
3	1987	Paris	France	4
4	1989	Athens	Greece	4
5	1996	Mol	Belgium	8
6	1998	Oldenburg	Germany	8
7	2000	Spała	Poland	8
8	2002	Ankara	Turkey	8
9	2004	Sassari	Italy	8
10	2006	Jaén	Spain	8
11	2008	Turin	Italy	15
12	2010	Poreč	Croatia	16
13	2011	Cambrils	Spain	16
14	2013	Rzeszów	Poland	16
15	2015	Koper	Slovenia	14
16	2017	Vittel	France	16
17	2019	Samsun	Turkey	16
18	2022	Laško	Slovenia	22
19	2023	Samsun	Turkey	22
20	2024	Varaždin	Croatia	22
21	2025	Samsun	Turkey	22
22	2026	Plovdiv	Bulgaria	22

Field Archery

Field archery is a bit like a treasure hunt with bows and arrows! It takes place in natural settings like forests or open fields. Archers walk along a course, shooting at targets placed at different distances and angles. This tests their skill in judging distance and shooting uphill or downhill.

Number	Year	Host City	Host Country	Events
1	1970	Rhondda	United Kingdom	4
2	1972	Passariano	Italy	4
3	1974	Zagreb	Yugoslavia	4
4	1976	Mölndal	Sweden	4
5	1978	Genève	Switzerland	4
6	1980	Compiègne	France	4
7	1982	Kingsclere	United Kingdom	4
8	1984	Hyvinkää	Finland	4
9	1986	Radstadt	Austria	4
10	1988	Bolzano	Italy	4
11	1995	Lillehammer	Norway	8
12	1997	Ardesio	Italy	8
13S/1J	1999	Bovec	Slovenia	8
14S/2J	2001	Železná Ruda	Czech Republic	8
15S/3J	2003	Vagney	France	8
16S/4J	2005	Rogla	Slovenia	8
17S/5J	2007	Bjelovar	Croatia	8
18S/6J	2009	Champagnac	France	8
19S/7J	2011	Montevarchi	Italy	8
20S/8J	2013	Terni	Italy	8
21S/9J	2015	Rzeszow	Poland	8
22S/10J	2017	Koper	Slovenia	8
23S/11J	2019	Mokrice	Slovenia	8
24S/12J	2021	Poreč	Croatia	11
25S/13J	2023	Cesena	Italy	11
26S/14J	2025	Książ	Poland	11

European Archery 3D Championships

In 3D archery, archers shoot at life-sized models of animals, usually made of foam. These models are placed in natural environments, making the competition feel like a hunting simulation (but without harming any animals!). It's a fun way to test accuracy in different outdoor settings.

Number	Year	Host City	Host Country	Events
1	2008	Punta Umbría	Spain	10
2	2010	Sassari	Italy	10
3	2012	Trakošćan	Croatia	10
4	2014	Tallinn	Estonia	10
5	2016	Mokrice	Slovenia	10
6	2018	Gothenburg	Sweden	10
7	2021	Maribor	Slovenia	10
8	2023	Cesana	Italy	14

Para-Archery

The European Para-Archery Championships are special events for archers with disabilities. These championships allow everyone to compete and show their amazing skills, proving that archery is a sport for all.

Number	Year	Host City	Host Country	Events
1	2006	Nymburk	Czech Republic
2	2010	Vichy	France
3	2014	Nottwil	Switzerland
4	2016	Saint-Jean-de-Monts	France
5	2018	Plzeň	Czech Republic
6	2020	Olbia	Italy

More Information

If you want to learn more about archery and these championships, you can check out the official websites of World Archery Europe. They have lots of information about past results and upcoming events.

• World Archery Europe - Outdoor Championships
• Sport-Record.de - Archery WAE
• Sport-Record.de - 3D Archery
• Sport-Record.de - Field Archery
• Sport-Record.de - Indoor Archery

See also

In Spanish: Campeonato Europeo de Tiro con Arco para niños