Before archery appeared as an Olympic sport, it was an ancient practice that originated as a hunting tool and a weapon. In the past, it was closely linked to survival, both in hunting and in warfare. After the invention of firearms, this tool became obsolete as a “professional” weapon and, over time, transitioned into a sport, eventually becoming an Olympic Sport (since the Paris 1900 Olympics).
Archery as an Olympic sport is primarily a sport of precision, meaning its practice requires great concentration, but also proper physical preparation.
In an Olympic tournament, the archer covers a distance of approximately ten kilometers during their movements towards the target. According to data from the FITA (International Archery Federation), the archer exerts a similar effort to eight or nine tons of tension on the bow when shooting the 300 arrows they use during the two days of competition.
Each country is limited to six athletes (three men and three women), which equals three athletes in each individual event and one team of three athletes in each team event. The format is elimination-style, with a total of 128 athletes (64 men and 64 women).
There are different competitions in the Olympics – Individual and Team events:
* **Individual**: There are men’s and women’s individual events. Both the men’s and women’s competitions are held in elimination rounds, with a best of five games, each consisting of three arrows per archer. The winner of each match qualifies for the next round. The last two archers compete in the final.
* **Team**: Men’s and women’s team events.
Teams of three compete against each other in elimination duels. The team with the highest score after shooting 24 arrows wins.
Olympic Archery Scoring
The target, placed at 70 meters, is circular with ten concentric rings of varying point values.
Each ring has a value, ranging from 1 point on the outermost ring to 10 points in the center. If an arrow touches two color lines, the highest value is taken. If the arrow bounces off the target or another arrow, points are only awarded if there is a mark on the target. If an arrow lands in another arrow, it receives the same score as the one it landed in.
**The amazing story of Im Dong-Hyun: the almost blind Olympic archery hero**
Im Dong-Hyun is South Korean and practices the country’s “national sport”: archery. At just 10 years old, one of his teachers encouraged him to try this sport. With determination and effort, he gradually improved, eventually earning a spot on his country’s prestigious team, leading them to win the Olympic gold in team archery in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
Im Dong-Hyun is legally blind, with 20% vision in one eye and 10% in the other. He is not allowed to drive, cannot distinguish computer keys, and cannot read… yet, he is able to skillfully hit the target from 70 meters (about three-quarters the length of a football field). He could compete in the Paralympic Games and possibly win that elusive individual gold. However, his ability and his 7 hours of daily training enable him to win medals in the Olympic Games for athletes without disabilities.
Fun Facts from the Olympic Games
At the Athens 2004 Olympics, archers competed in the Panathenaic Stadium, where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896. The stadium was built on the ruins of an ancient stadium constructed in 329 BC.