With seven Nice athletes medalists among the French delegation, the Côte d’Azur was perfectly represented at the 2026 Taranto Mediterranean Games. On Monaco’s side, table tennis player Xiaoxin Yang won the only medal of the edition for the Principality.
It is an event still little known to the general public, yet for athletes, the Mediterranean Games represent a great opportunity to compete at the highest level in their disciplines.
Created in 1951, this event brings together countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea in classic competitions (athletics, cycling, fencing etc…) and sometimes more original ones (fin swimming, progressive shooting etc…).
Situated halfway between two editions of the Olympic Games, the Mediterranean Games allow nations to gauge themselves against lesser adversity.
The 2026 edition took place in Italy, in Taranto. With 88 medals, the French delegation left Taranto with 7 more medals than in 2022 and finished fourth in the medal count behind Italy, Turkey and Greece.
Many people from the Côte d’Azur and Monaco, by birth or adoption, contributed to this fine performance.
Two Nice athletes seize gold
Aleksa Mitrovic is certainly the one who made the biggest impression. The 24-year-old from Nice who trains at Judo Club Monaco is the only gold medalist from the Côte d’Azur in an individual event.
In his -90 kg category, he defeated Italian Christian Parlati in the final. He is the only Frenchman to win gold in judo, proof of his immense performance.
Lohan Nack Minyem also won gold, but in a team discipline. Licensed to Nice Volleyball, the 24-year-old giant contributed to the French team’s nearly perfect tournament.
Only one defeat in the group stage for four victories, a close semi-final against Turkey and then a clear 3-0 victory over Greece, the French team was impressive. With 9 points and 3 blocks in the final, Lohan Nack Minyem was one of the driving forces behind this success.
A mix of silver and bronze for other Nice athletes
Romain Viale, born in Nice and licensed to Clermont, secured silver by teams in archery. In the final, the French trio lost to Spain. After his sixth place finish in the individual event, the 21-year-old from Nice came away with his first international medal.
In wrestling, it is Rassoul Galbouraev, also 21 years old, who won silver in the -57kg category. Born in Nice, Rassoul Galbouraev now trains in Moselle. A multiple junior European medalist, he wins his first international medal among seniors.
On the 100m hurdles, Sacha Alessandrini, licensed to Nice Côte d’Azur Athletics since 2017, took bronze. A small disappointment for someone who had the best personal record of the eight finalists. In Taranto, Sacha Alessandrini clocked 12”94, far from her 12”53 in June 2026. She lost to Celeste Polzonetti (12”75) and Elena Carraro (12”79).
Finally, it is the Spondyle Club of Antibes and fin swimming that were the biggest medal providers on the Côte d’Azur side. Kévin Lasserre and Albane Déage, both licensed to Antibes, shone in the Taranto pool.
For Kévin Lasserre, it is a silver medal that he came to win in 400 meters fin swimming. Albane Déage, for her part, achieved a superb double. Born in Nice, the 24-year-old swimmer secured bronze on 200 and 400 meters fin swimming, one of the few non-Olympic disciplines present in Taranto.
Silver for the Monegasque delegation
Xiaoxin Yang, 38-year-old table tennis player, is the only medalist for the Principality at these Mediterranean Games. In Taranto, she came to win her third medal in the Mediterranean Games after silver in 2018 and gold in 2022.
Serene until the final, conceding only two sets in her first four matches, Xiaoxin Yang could do nothing in the decisive match. Overwhelmed by the liveliness of Egyptian Hana Goda, she lost in the final four sets to one. She takes silver, a particularly encouraging performance, less than a year after her return to the circuit.
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