National Tour Final 2026: action recap
Victoria Embankment, Nottingham, played host to the 2026 National Tour for the very first time since moving from Wollaton Hall. For both the archers and spectators alike, the venue shift added a level of thrill and mystery to the weekend’s competition. Forty of the UK’s best archers took to the stage to compete for the most coveted title in the British target calendar.
It was a rollercoaster of emotions as we witnessed titles being defended and new champions being crowned. The crowd’s energy was electric as they cheered on their favourite athletes on their road to the podium.
We had not just one, not two, but three new title holders. Both the female and the open barebow categories were won by first-time champions, Sarah Russell and Phil Lawrence. Sarah shoots barebow purely during the National Tour, and took it up for the first time just last year. Phil said his goal was to improve on his fourth-place finish from 2025, and he most certainly achieved that.
Phil told us: “It’s utterly phenomenal. There are so many good archers, and the level of barebow has just been going up and up and up. To be up there with the top four is fantastic; I don’t think it’s quite sunk in to be perfectly honest, but it’s amazing.”
Phil Lawrence, 2026 barebow open champion. Credit: Jonathon Yau
On the compound side, Danielle Palmer defeated reigning champion and world number two, Ella Gibson, to take the gold medal. This was her very first appearance at the Final, and she fought her way to the top of the podium.
Danielle said: “I’m just shocked at the minute, it’ll probably dawn on me soon, but I just wanted to make it. It doesn’t really matter what happens just shoot the shot and keep going. There are fifteen arrows and then it’s over, just keep it going.”
Ajay Scott overcame his nerves and shot 147-144 over debut finalist Ioan Rees, retaining his compound open title for the second year running.
Ajay added: “It was really good to be able to do it two times in a row. It’s still as nerve-wracking as ever, but yeah, I feel good. It was a bit tricky with the wind, but I think it’s a beautiful place, and I think it’ll be a good place to hold the Finals [European Championships in 2028].”
The recurve competition was won by two previous champions and two Olympians, Penny Healy and Conor Hall. Penny told us that she was very proud to have capped off a particularly difficult season with a win, despite the odds that were stacked against her.
Penny told us: “I’ve been struggling a lot with my health this year, I think my surgery really put me back at the start of it. But it’s nice to see me starting to come back to the competitive side of things. I’ve always been competitive, I just don’t think I was competitive as I was.”
If you missed the action from the 2026 National Tour Final, don’t worry, we have you covered! Click the link below to find all of the livestreams from the event which you can watch from the comfort of your home.
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