Monaco at the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games: 17 Athletes Competing in Eight Sports

MONACO – The Principality of Monaco is preparing to take part in the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games with a delegation of 17 athletes, competing across eight sports from August 21 to September 3.

The Monegasque team brings together experienced competitors and emerging young talents, with the aim of strengthening Monaco’s presence at one of the Mediterranean region’s leading multi-sport events and continuing the development of sport in the Principality.

The 20th Mediterranean Games are particularly significant for Monaco, which has participated in the event since 1955 and will make its 17th appearance in Taranto.

Padel makes its Mediterranean Games debut

One of the main new features for the Monegasque delegation will be the debut of padel in the Mediterranean Games programme.

Monaco will be represented by Nicolas Fedoroff and Noah Minioni, who at just 16 years old is the youngest athlete in the delegation.

For the Monegasque Olympic Committee, this marks the second appearance of padel at a major international multi-sport event, following its debut at the 2023 European Games.

The inclusion of padel in Taranto represents another step in the sport’s international development and gives Monaco’s young players an opportunity to compete against some of the leading names in the discipline.

Monaco makes its team equestrian debut

The Taranto Games will also mark a historic first for Monaco in team equestrian competition.

The Monegasque team will consist of three young riders:

• Eileen Delescule Thomel, 19;
• Anastasia Nielsen, 20;
• Iñigo López de La Osa Franco, 22.

The competition will take place at an equestrian venue created inside a former quarry, a distinctive setting for one of the most unusual events of the 2026 Games.

For the three young representatives of the Principality, the competition will provide an important opportunity to gain international experience and write a new chapter in Monaco’s Mediterranean Games history.

The Campillo family takes centre stage in pétanque

One of the most distinctive stories within the Monegasque delegation is that of the Campillo family, with three members of the same family competing in Taranto.

Guillaume Campillo will make his third Mediterranean Games appearance, while his wife Sabrina Campillo returns to competition after taking part in the Oran 2022 edition.

Their daughter Giulia Campillo, 20, will make her debut and will form the women’s pétanque pair with her mother.

The family presence highlights the strong connection between sporting tradition, passion and national representation that characterises the Principality’s delegation.

Xiaoxin Yang returns to competition after motherhood

One of the most anticipated athletes in the Monegasque team is Xiaoxin Yang, one of the Principality’s leading table tennis players.

The champion will return to international competition after motherhood and will make her comeback at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto.

Yang has already achieved major results at previous editions, winning silver at Tarragona 2018 and gold at Oran 2022.

Her experience and record make her one of Monaco’s strongest medal contenders at the 2026 Games.

Kévin Crovetto set for his fourth Mediterranean Games

Among the most experienced members of the delegation is gymnast Kévin Crovetto, a leading figure in Monegasque sport.

Taranto will mark Crovetto’s fourth appearance at the Mediterranean Games, an achievement that underlines the consistency of his international career and his importance to the Principality’s national team.

Also making their third appearance will be Jérémy Moutout, competing in sailing in the ILCA 7 class, and Marvin Gadeau, competing in judo in the over-100 kg category.

Young Monegasque talents ready for their debut

The Monaco delegation will also feature several young athletes making their first appearance at the Mediterranean Games.

They include sprinters Thomas Carreda and Téo Bottin, 400-metre hurdles specialist Marie-Charlotte Gastaud, and sailor Louise Debeaumont.

The presence of these young athletes is one of the key elements of Monaco’s participation. Alongside its most experienced competitors, the Principality is investing in a new generation capable of representing Monaco at major international competitions.

A Mediterranean Village on board cruise ships

The logistics of the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games will also feature an unusual element.

The Mediterranean Village will be established inside the Italian naval base, while numerous delegations will be accommodated aboard two cruise ships.

The arrangement recalls the 2007 Games of the Small States of Europe, hosted by Monaco. On that occasion, athletes from participating delegations stayed aboard a ship moored in Port Hercule.

The decision in Taranto therefore also highlights the strong connection between the Apulian city’s maritime identity and the organisation of the multi-sport event.

Monaco heads to Taranto with experience and new challenges

Monaco’s participation in the 2026 Mediterranean Games brings together experience, high-profile returns and new sporting milestones.

From the return of Xiaoxin Yang and the fourth Games appearance of Kévin Crovetto, to the debut of padel, Monaco’s first team equestrian appearance and the participation of numerous young athletes, the Principality’s delegation combines sporting tradition with a clear focus on the future.

From August 21 to September 3, 2026, Monaco’s 17 athletes will compete in Taranto wearing the Principality’s red and white colours, representing not only their sporting ambitions but also the continued growth of Monaco’s Olympic sporting movement.