Lucilla Boari

Lore & Background

Boari secured two qualification spots for Italy in the final world qualification tournament for the 2016 Summer Olympics, delivering the shot that claimed victory over Chinese Taipei to give Italy a full Olympic berth of three archers. She was subsequently chosen as part of the Italian squad alongside fellow Olympic debutants Claudia Mandia and Guendalina Sartori in July 2016. At the Olympic Games the following month, Boari competed in the women's individual and women's team events. With teammates Mandia and Sartori, Boari successfully progressed to the semi-finals in the women's team competition, defeating the Brazilian and Chinese teams before losing to Russia. In the bronze medal match their opponents Chinese Taipei were too strong, and the Italian trio finished the competition in fourth place. Boari was however much less successful in the individual tournament, and after placing seventh in the ranking round lost to Australia's Alice Ingley in the opening elimination round.

In June 2018, Boari won gold medal in the women's individual event at the Mediterranean Games, defeating Spain's Mónica Galisteo Cruz in the final. The following year she competed in the European Games, where in the women's individual event she achieved the sixth seed in the 72-arrow ranking round before advancing through the elimination rounds to the gold medal final. She was defeated in the final by compatriot Tatiana Andreoli, earning the silver medal as runner-up.

In 2021, she won the bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the women's individual event. At the same time, she came out as lesbian, revealing that Dutch archer Sanne de Laat is her girlfriend.

Reader's Guide

Boari's significance lies in her consistent performance at major international competitions, culminating in an Olympic bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Her career began with a crucial role in securing Italy's full team berth for the 2016 Olympics, where she helped the Italian women's team reach the bronze medal match, finishing fourth. She later demonstrated individual prowess by winning gold at the 2018 Mediterranean Games and silver at the 2019 European Games. Her Olympic bronze in the women's individual event in 2021 marked a personal milestone and added to Italy's archery legacy. Beyond her athletic achievements, Boari publicly came out as lesbian during the 2020 Olympics, revealing her relationship with Dutch archer Sanne de Laat, which brought visibility to LGBTQ+ athletes in the sport. Her trajectory from a team qualifier to an individual Olympic medalist illustrates her growth and resilience in recurve archery.

Did You Know?

• Boari secured two Olympic qualification spots for Italy by delivering the winning shot against Chinese Taipei in the final world qualification tournament for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
• She won an individual gold medal at the 2018 Mediterranean Games, defeating Spain's Mónica Galisteo Cruz in the final.
• At the 2020 Summer Olympics, she won the bronze medal in the women's individual event and came out as lesbian, revealing her relationship with Dutch archer Sanne de Laat.
• She finished fourth in the women's team event at the 2016 Summer Olympics alongside Claudia Mandia and Guendalina Sartori.