The Paralympics showcase human spirit, resilience, and sporting excellence every four years. The event returns to Invalides for Paris 2024 at the end of August. The focus will be on three archers: Matt Stutzman, Piotr Van Montagu, and Sheetal Devi. Three athletes, who are foot shooters without arms, are strong contenders to become the first Paralympic Champion using a technique pioneered by Stutzman. They aren’t the only impressive para athletes joining the shooting line. Get ready for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Archery event, where 140 archers, including foot shooters, compete with innovative techniques. For the first time ever, each and every single match is being broadcast.
When To Watch Archery At The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
Table of Contents
Archery events are scheduled in Paris from Thursday, August 29, to Thursday, September 5. Did you know archery was one of the first sports at the inaugural Paralympic Games in Rome back in 1960? It’s been part of the competition ever since!
Athletes with diverse physical disabilities participate in this elite, fiercely competitive event. In the W1 competitions, you’ll find the athletes with the most severe impairments, while the open events are generally for those with milder impairments. The table below shows details for W1 and Open competition classes.
Archery Classifications
W1 – Athletes typically have impairments affecting both the upper or lower halves of their body. It including the torso and at least three limbs.
Open – Athletes often have impairments in either the upper or lower half or one side of their body.
Venue
The Esplanade de Invalides, the venue for the 2024 Paris Olympics archery, will also host Paralympic archers. The nearby Hôtel des Invalides is well-known for its military history and as Napoleon Bonaparte’s final resting place.
Events
- Individual W1 (women’s / men’s / team)
- Individual Compound open (women’s / men’s / team)
- Individual Recurve open (women’s / men’s / team)
Team USA Archers To Watch At Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
Matt Stutzman
Matt Stutzman competes in the Compound Open Classification. He is the son of Leon and Jean Stutzman and a proud dad of three boys: Carter, Cameron, and Alex Stutzman and he came from a family of hunters and started archery to support his family. He appears in the 2020 Netflix documentary Rising Phoenix, which showcases talents such as racing a truck at 200 mph and dunking a basketball. Matt is a popular motivational speaker when he’s not competing in professional archery.
He loves working with cars and hanging out in the great outdoors. Matt is a three-time Paralympian and silver medalist from the London 2012 Games, finishing 9th in the Individual Compound Open – Men at Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016. He participated in the World Championships from 2015 to 2023, winning four medals: two golds (Individual Compound Open – Men in 2022 and Team Compound Open – Men in 2015) and two bronzes (Team Compound Open – Men in 2023 and Individual Compound Open – Men in 2019).
Kevin Polish
Kevin Polish started archery under his father’s guidance at age three and now competes in the W2 Classification. By the time he was 11, he was already jumping into competitions. In 1999, he faced a challenging period due to a car accident but overcame it to return to competitive archery. K.J., passionate about fishing, hunting, and archery, is a two-time Paralympian who finished 17th in the Individual Compound Open – Men at Tokyo 2020 and 9th in both the same event and Team Compound Open – Mixed at Rio 2016. His World Championships experience features multiple participations, with his latest success being a bronze medalist in the Team Compound Open – Men in 2023. Throughout his career, K.J. has earned two World Championship medals: a gold in 2005 for the Compound Team – Men and a bronze in 2023.
Eric Bennett
Eric Bennett, who’s competing in the Open Classification, started shooting when he was just seven years old. But when he was 15, a car accident led to him losing his right arm. Even after almost a decade away from the sport, his dad encouraged him to give archery again. His comeback was highlighted by his use of a bow adapted to be held with his feet, and this determination propelled him back into competitive arenas. He is a high school physics and engineering teacher, married to Rachel, and father to Logan and Natalie. He once taught Olympic archer Brady Ellison.
In 2007, he joined his first world team and became the first American to compete in both Compound and Recurve disciplines at different Paralympic Games. He became the first American to win a World Championship in the Para Recurve division and participated in four Paralympic Games, achieving notable placements: 9th in Tokyo 2020, 8th in Rio 2016, 4th in London 2012, and 9th in Beijing 2008. He has a wealth of experience in the World Championships, most recently competing in 2023, where he secured 9th place in the Team Recurve Open – Men and 33rd place in the Individual Recurve Open – Men. Throughout his career, he has secured three World Championship medals: two golds (Team Recurve Open – Men in 2019 and Individual Recurve Open – Men in 2015) and a silver (Individual Recurve Open – Men in 2019). When he’s not competing, he likes to go fishing, camping, and watch movies.
Jordan White
Jordan White, a skilled Recurve Open Classification archer, made history as the youngest U.S. archer to qualify for the Paralympics at just 15 years old. Beyond archery, they delight in mastering Photoshop to create distinctive sports images, seamlessly merging their passion for art and athletics.
Jason Tabansky
Jason Tabansky, competing in the W2 Classification, is a dedicated fan of the Texas Longhorns and the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. He grew up in South Texas and proudly “bleeds green and gold” for his favorite football team. A former Army helicopter crewmember and instructor, he dedicated 15 and a half years to service before a spinal cord injury caused by an epidural abscess, which compressed his spine from C4 to T4. Jason Tabansky remains dedicated to his passion for music. He mastering multiple instruments, including guitar, bass, piano, and trumpet, while also adapting his drum skills.
His native language is Spanish, and he’s also learning German, Portuguese, and Korean. Jason Tabansky excelled in archery, securing 5th place in the MW1 Doubles at the 2023 World Championships. He earned gold medals in the 2024 Parapan American Championships (MW1 individual and team) and the 2022 Parapan American Outdoor Championships (MW1 team and individual). He also get a silver medal in the MW1 Individual event at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago.
Tracy Otto
Tracy Otto competed in the W1 Classification. After surviving a life-threatening domestic violence attack that left her without her left eye and paralyzed from the chest down, Tracy Otto discovered Para archery. This newfound passion became a powerful means of recovery and personal growth. Her journey started at the “All People’s Life Center,” where coach Earl C. Brown taught her to use a mouth tab for her bow. Through her dedication, Tracy qualified for her first Paralympic Games Archery in May.
In addition to her athletic accomplishments, she passionately advocates for survivors of domestic violence and athletes in adaptive sports. Tracy has developed her own line of adaptive sportswear and actively participates in fundraising initiatives to support her archery journey. Her career highlights include winning gold in both the Women’s W1 and mixed team events at the 2024 Para Pan American Championships. She clinches gold in the Women’s individual W1 event at the Parapan American Games Santiago 2023.
Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Archery Schedule
Date | Event | Time |
---|---|---|
August 29 | Women’s and Men’s individual W1 ranking round | 3:00 AM - 9:30 AM |
August 29 | Women’s individual Compound Open ranking round Men’s individual Recurve Open ranking round | 3:00 AM - 9:30 AM |
August 29 | Women’s individual Compound Open ranking round Men’s individual Recurve Open ranking round | 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM |
August 30 | Women’s individual Compound Open 1/16 eliminations | 3:00 AM - 06:25 AM |
August 30 | Men’s individual Compound Open 1/16 eliminations | 9.30 AM - 2:05 PM |
August 31 | Women’s individual W1 1/8 eliminations Women’s individual W1 quarterfinals Women’s individual W1 semifinals Women’s individual W1 medal matches | 3:00 AM - 07:20 AM |
August 31 | Women’s individual Compound Open 1/8 eliminations Women’s individual Compound Open quarterfinals Women’s individual Compound Open semifinals Women’s individual Compound Open medal matches | 9:30 AM - 2:40 PM |
September 1 | Men’s individual W1 1/8 eliminations Men’s individual W1 quarterfinals Men’s individual W1 semifinals Men’s individual W1 medal matches | 3:00 AM - 7:20 AM |
September 1 | Men’s individual Compound Open 1/8 eliminations Men’s individual Compound Open quarterfinals Men’s individual Compound Open semifinals Men’s individual Compound Open medal matches | 9:30 AM - 2:40 PM |
September 2 | Mixed team W1 1/8 eliminations Mixed team W1 quarterfinals Mixed team W1 semifinals Mixed team W1 medal matches | 3:00 AM - 7:35 AM |
September 2 | Mixed team Compound Open 1/8 eliminations Mixed team Compound Open quarterfinals Mixed team Compound Open semifinals Mixed team Compound Open medal matches | 9:30 AM - 03:25 PM |
September 3 | Women’s individual Recurve Open 1/16 eliminations Women’s individual Recurve Open 1/8 eliminations | 3:00 AM - 8:35 AM |
September 3 | Women’s individual Recurve Open quarterfinals Women’s individual Recurve Open semifinals Women’s individual Recurve Open medal matches | 11:00 AM - 1:55 PM |
September 4 | Men’s individual Recurve Open 1/16 eliminations Men’s individual Recurve Open 1/8 eliminations | 03:00 AM - 9:45 AM |
September 4 | Men’s individual Recurve Open quarterfinals Men’s individual Recurve Open semifinals Men’s individual Recurve Open medal matches | 11:30 AM - 02:25 PM |
September 5 | Mixed team Recurve Open 1/16 eliminations | 4:00 AM - 6:40 AM |
September 5 | Mixed team Recurve Open quarterfinals Mixed team Recurve Open semifinals Mixed team Recurve Open medal matches | 12:00 PM - 3:15 PM |
Competition Categories
Paralympic archers compete as para-athletes in three categories, participating in individual and mixed team (one man, one woman) events.
Recurve archers, who have impairments in either the top or bottom halves of their bodies, use recurve bows to shoot at 122 cm diameter targets from a distance of 70 meters. This category is just like the competition you see at the Olympic Games.
Compound archers with impairments in either the top or backside halves use compound bows to shoot at 50-meter goals, 80 centimeters in diameter, with the outer four rings eliminated.
W1 archers, with impairments within the pinnacle, bottom halves, and torso, use recurve or limited compound bows. They shoot from 50 meters at 80 cm diameter targets.
Format
The opposition is split into qualifying and matchplay levels. Archers shoot 72 arrows in the course of the qualifying spherical to decide their seeding for the pinnacle-to-head brackets. The mixed crew’s seed is decided by way of adding up the scores of two archers.
Archers and mixed teams compete in fits wherein the winner acts directly to the next round. Then, the loser is eliminated, continuing until a champion is crowned. Recurve fits use the set machine, while Compound and W1 suits depend on cumulative rankings to decide the winner.
Set System
Recurve archers and blended groups shoot arrows in organizations called ‘sets.’ The highest rating in a hard and fast gets set points, while a draw offers one set point to every.
In shape, the goal is to earn six set factors, with every set comprising three arrows. In a combined team in shape, the objective is to earn five-set factors, with every set comprising 4 arrows and two shots using every archer.
A tiebreak occurs if a healthy character is tied to five to five after five sets or a mixed group healthy is tied to 4-4 after four sets.
Cumulative Score
Compound and W1 archer’s purpose is to achieve the very best general score with the aid of taking pictures of a set wide variety of arrows.
Individual suits contain taking pictures of 15 arrows in 5 rounds of 3 arrows, with a score of one hundred fifty factors. Mixed team matches involve 16 arrows in 4 ends, with two arrows consistent with archer, aiming for a maximum score of a hundred and sixty points. If the scores are tied after all of the arrows have been shot, the shape will be tied to a tiebreaker.
Tiebreak
In an individual match, each archer shoots one arrow, and the only one whose arrow lands nearest to the target’s center wins the suit.
In a mixed-team archery match, each archer shoots one arrow, and the team that scores more wins. If the scores are tied, the team with the arrow closest to the center wins.
Conclusion
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will feature an exciting display of archery talent, with a record number of athletes and full broadcast coverage of every match. Three-foot shooters compete for the first Paralympic Champion to identify the use of a unique technique, marking an ancient moment. Experience every exciting moment by tuning in to watch those incredible para-athletes redefine the bounds of possibility. Mark your calendars, set reminders, and get equipped to cheer on Team USA as they go for gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Archery.