According to the official schedule released for the 2026 Mediterranean Games in Taranto, the fifth day of competition on Wednesday, August 26, features extensive preliminary rounds and qualification events across multiple disciplines, highlighted by Italian athletes in archery, shooting, and fin-swimming.
## Archery Ranking Rounds Begin in Taranto
According to the official results from the morning session, Spain’s Andres Temino Mediel topped the men’s individual ranking round with 664 points, followed by Turkey’s Mete Gazoz in second with 656 points and Italy’s Matteo Borsani in third with 655 points. Among other Italian archers in the men’s field, Francesco Gregori finished seventh with 649 points and Massimiliano Mandia placed tenth with 640 points.
In the women’s individual ranking round, Roberta Di Francesco led the standings for Italy with 659 points, securing the top position ahead of Spain’s Elia Canales (658 points) and Turkey’s Dunya Yenihayat (656 points). Chiara Rebagliati placed seventh with 646 points for Italy, while Tatiana Andreoli finished eleventh with 625 points, according to the tournament data. Following the ranking rounds, the elimination matches set up an afternoon pairing where Cyprus’s Christos El Helali—who advanced past Syria’s Mohammad Zekrek 6-5—will face Italy’s Matteo Borsani in the round of 16.
## Shooting and Padel Highlights
In women’s 10-meter air rifle qualification, Carlotta Salafia secured seventh place with 626.8 points to earn a spot in the afternoon final, according to competition records. Fellow Italian Sofia Ceccarello finished eleventh with 624.2 points and missed the cut for the medal round. Serbia’s Andelija Stevanovic led the qualification phase with 632.7 points.
On the padel courts, Italy’s Marco Cassetta and Giulia Dal Pozzo advanced to the mixed doubles semifinals with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 victory over Kosovo’s Donika Bashota and Lavdrim Krasniqi in the quarterfinals.
## Fin-Swimming Heats and Team Sports
Italian fin-swimmers advanced multiple athletes to the afternoon finals during morning sessions at the venue. Lorenzo Caronno secured the second-fastest time in the men’s 400-meter surface heats with 3:09.55, trailing France’s Antonin Lebeau (3:09.41), while Christian Degli Esposti also qualified by placing seventh, according to the event timing. In the women’s 200-meter surface heats, Anna Leonardi (1:34.37) and Consuelo Dametto (1:35.10) both advanced. Viola Magoga led the 50-meter bi-fins qualifications with a time of 22.47 seconds, accompanied by compatriot Celeste Simioni in fifth place (23.02 seconds).
In Group A men’s football action, Morocco defeated North Macedonia 5-1 after holding a 2-1 halftime lead, with goals in the second half from Mounssef, Essaadi, and Gourari. Tunisia secured a 2-1 victory over Turkey behind a goal from Mohamed Rayen Anene and an own goal by Taha Emre Ince, despite a second-half strike from Turkey’s Ozder Ozcan. In women’s team table tennis, Turkey defeated Syria 3-0 in the round of 16, while Algeria eliminated Lebanon by the same scoreline. In men’s volleyball preliminary action at the PalaMazzola, Greece defeated Egypt in the opening sets 25-22 and 25-21.