Guendalina Sartori
Italian archer, world champion and Olympic fourth-place finisher.
Guendalina Sartori is an Italian archer, born on 8 August 1988 in Monselice, in the province of Padua. She serves in the Italian Air Force. Sartori began practicing archery in 2000. She won a gold medal in the women’s team event at the 2011 World Archery Championships alongside Natalia Valeeva and Jessica Tomasi. The following year, she narrowly missed a spot on the Italian team for the 2012 Summer Olympics and instead served as the reserve archer.
At the 2013 Mediterranean Games, Sartori had a double victory: she took gold in the women’s team event with Valeeva and Claudia Mandia, and the next day won the individual gold, defeating Valeeva and Spain’s Mirene Exteberria. In 2015, she won another women’s team gold at the inaugural European Games in Baku, partnering with Valeeva and Elena Tonetta to beat Belarus.
Sartori made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where she was selected as team captain after Valeeva’s retirement. She competed alongside debutants Lucilla Boari and Claudia Mandia. In the women’s team event, Sartori, Mandia, and Tonetta reached the semi-finals, lost to Russia, and then fell to Chinese Taipei in the bronze medal match, finishing fourth—Italy’s best ever result in a women’s Olympic archery event. In the individual tournament, Sartori beat Colombia’s Carolina Aguirre in the first round but lost to India’s Deepika Kumari in the second.
After the Olympics, a story in the Italian newspaper *QS Quotidiano Sportivo* described Sartori, Boari, and Mandia as “chubby,” sparking controversy that led to the editor’s dismissal.
Quick Facts
- Nationality
- Italian
- Birth Date
- 8 August 1988
- Birth Place
- Monselice, Italy
- Weight
- 80 kg
- Sport
- Archery
- Event
- Recurve
- Header Color
- lightsteelblue
- Show Medals
- no
- Medal Templates
- Women's archery · World Championships / 2011 Turin · Team / Indoor World Championships / 2012 Las Vegas · Team / European Games / 2015 Baku · Team
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Sartori took up archery in 2000. At the 2011 World Archery Championships she won gold in the women's team event alongside Natalia Valeeva and Jessica Tomasi. The following year she narrowly missed selection for the 2012 Summer Olympics, serving as the reserve archer for the Italian team. At the 2013 Mediterranean Games she won gold in the women's team event with Natalia Valeeva and Claudia Mandia, defeating Spain, and the next day won the women's individual title by defeating Valeeva and Spain's Mirene Exteberria. In 2015 she won another women's team gold at the inaugural European Games in Baku, partnering with Valeeva and Elena Tonetta to beat Belarus.
Reader's Guide
Sartori's career highlights include a world championship gold and multiple international team titles. She was selected as captain for her Olympic debut in 2016 after the retirement of six-time Olympian Natalia Valeeva, joining fellow debutants Lucilla Boari and Claudia Mandia. In the women's team event, Sartori, Mandia, and Tonetta reached the semi-finals, losing to Russia, then lost the bronze medal match to Chinese Taipei, finishing fourth—Italy's highest ever placing in a women's Olympic archery event. In the individual tournament, she defeated Colombia's Carolina Aguirre in the first elimination round before losing to India's Deepika Kumari in the second round. Following the Olympics, a controversy arose when an Italian newspaper described Sartori and her teammates as 'chubby', leading to the dismissal of the newspaper's editor.
Did You Know?
- At the 2013 Mediterranean Games, she won both the women's team and individual gold medals.
- She was a member of the Italian Air Force.
- Her fourth-place finish at the 2016 Olympics was Italy's highest ever in a women's Olympic archery event.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Guendalina Sartori?
Guendalina Sartori is an Italian competitive archer born on 8 August 1988 in Monselice, in the province of Padua. She is best known internationally as a 2011 World Archery Championships team gold medalist and a 2016 Olympic team fourth-place finisher.
How did Guendalina Sartori win her world title?
At the 2011 World Archery Championships, Sartori claimed gold in the women's team final as part of an Italian trio that also included Natalia Valeeva and Jessica Tomasi. This remains her sole World Championships medal.
What is Guendalina Sartori's best Olympic result?
Sartori finished fourth in the women's team event at the 2016 Rio Olympics, falling just short of the podium. She had previously been the reserve archer for Italy's 2012 Olympic squad after narrowly missing a starting spot.
What Mediterranean Games medals has Guendalina Sartori won?
At the 2013 Mediterranean Games, Sartori achieved a double by taking gold in both the women's individual and women's team events. In the team final she partnered with Natalia Valeeva and Claudia Mandia.
What does Guendalina Sartori do outside of archery?
Sartori is a serving member of the Italian Air Force, balancing her military career with competitive archery. She first picked up a bow in 2000, launching a career that would carry her to world and Olympic-level competition.
More in World Archery Championships Medalists, Part 2 1-24
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