OLYMPIC ARCHERY

OLYMPIC SPORT SINCE 1900

Anyone familiar with the legend of Robin Hood knows archery competitions date back at least to mediaeval times. Indeed, today's archers still honour the fabled outlaw. The term "Robin Hood" now refers to splitting the shaft of an arrow already in the target with another arrow.

The equipment has crept forward in its technology since Robin and his merry men had the run of Sherwood Forest, but the sport of archery remains essentially unchanged. A recurve bow coated in fibreglass has become standard, and arrows made of aluminium and carbon graphite can travel more than 240km/h, but the most important requirements are straightforward: steady hands, strong shoulders, flexible muscles, sharp eyes and nerves of steel.

Archery is a thrilling sport that is growing in popularity. Anyone can participate, man, woman or child. To be successful as an athlete in this sport requires years of practice and development of both mental and physical skills. Archers develop techniques to fully control their body movement, their endurance and their mental steadiness, when preparing to meet the challenge of match days.

Various kinds of archery competition were on the Olympic program from 1900 to 1920. The exact type of competition depended on the host country. England, in 1900, and the United States, in 1908, favored target archery. Countries on the European continent, though, favored more exotic kinds of competition, usually more closely associated with hunting. After 1920, the International Olympic Committee took control of medal sports and archery was dropped. It then disappeared for more than 50 years. It reappeared as target archery at Munich in 1972 and has remained a fixture ever since.

The Olympic Archery competition takes place outdoors. Competitors shoot standing, aiming to land their arrow in the smallest (the central) circle, 12 cm in diameter, on a target face 122 cm in diameter, placed 70 m away. The target consists of ten colored concentric circles known as ‘rings’. An arrow in the innermost circle (the ‘bull’s eye’) is worth ten points, and an arrow in the outermost circle (the ‘outer’) counts for one. An arrow landing successfully in a ring between these two is worth from two to nine points, depending which one it is.

DISCONTINUED OLYMPIC EVENTS

1900 (All men's)
Au Cordon Dore - 33m: Henri Herouin, France
Au Cordon Dore - 50m: Hubert van Innis, Belgium
Au Chapelet - 33m: Eugene Mougin, France
Au Chapelet - 50m: Hubert van Innis, Belgium
Sur la perche a la herse: Emmanuel Foulon, Belgium
Sur la perche a la pyramide: Emile Grumiaux, France

1904
Men's Double York: Phil Bryant, USA
Men's Double American: Phil Bryant, USA
Men's Team Double American: United States
Women's Double Columbia: Lida Howell, USA
Women's Double National: Lida Howell, USA

1908
Men's York Round: William Dod, GBR
Men's Continental Style - 50m: E. G. Grisot, France
Women's National Round: Sybil Newall, GBR

1920 (All men's)
Fixed Bird Target - Small Birds: Edmond van Moer, Belgium
Team Fixed Bird Target - Small Birds: Belgium
Fixed Bird Target - Large Birds: Edouard Cloetens, Belgium
Team Fixed Bird Target - Large Birds: Belgium
Moving Bird Target - 28m: Hubert van Innis, Belgium
Team Moving Bird Target - 28m: The Netherlands
Moving Bird Target - 33m: Hubert van Innis, Belgium
Team Moving Bird Target - 33m: Belgium
Moving Bird Target - 50m: Julien Brule, France
Team Moving Bird Target - 50m: Belgium