Skip to main content
12221
Back to International Paralympic Committee homepage Go to
Contrast:
High Contrast
Normal Contrast
Enlargement:
Larger Font Size
Default Font Size
Smaller Font Size
    • Home
    • News
    • Athletes
    • Schedule/Results
    • Tickets
    • Countries
    • Samsung Bloggers
    • Fan Zone
    • Watch
    • Sports
    • About
    • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
    • Instagram

    Sport week: Introduction to para-archery

    25.04.2016

    Here is a brief overview of the sport that has appeared in every Paralympics.

    © •
    By Emily Bayci | For the IPC
    Listen to this page using ReadSpeaker
    Related News
    Sport Week: Five para-archery storylines to follow
    Sport Week: Para-archers to watch
    Sport Week: Armless Archer aims high
    Sport Week: History of para-archery
    Sport Week: Para-archery venue at Rio 2016
    Sport Week: Classification in para-archery

    Para-archery was the first sport where wheelchair athletes had organised competition and was one of the original Paralympic sports. It is also one of the sports with the most similarities to its able-bodied counterpart. Thus, athletes are able to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics if they meet the qualification standards.

    Para-archery is open to athletes with physical impairments who may shoot with assistive devices allowed under classification rules. The sport tests accuracy, strength and concentration. It includes specific competition categories for athletes with certain classifications: W1, compound open and recurve open. A dedicated article on classification in para-archery will be posted on Paralympic.org later this week.

    In para-archery, the target size and distance archers stand from the target differs based on the competition category. In individual events, archers shoot 72 arrows at the 10-circle target, divided into 12 ends of six arrows each. Each athlete is allowed four minutes per round. The top-scoring athletes advance to 15-arrow head-to-head matches, which are single-elimination.

    An archer using a recurve bow shoots at a target 1.22m in diameter, 70m away from the shooting line. A compound archer shoots at a target 80cm in diameter and stands 50m away.

    World Archery is the global governing body of para-archery.

    Rio 2016 will have nine medal events:

    -Men's Individual W1

    -Men's Ind. Compound Open

    -Men's Ind. Recurve Open

    -Women's Individual W1

    -Women's Ind. Compound Open

    -Women's Ind. Recurve Open

    -Mixed Team W1

    -Mixed Team Compound

    -Mixed Team Recurve

    Equipment and Quick Facts

    Targets - Paralympic targets are 1.22 meters in diameter

    Recurve bow - Made of limbs that curve away from the archer, a grip and a string

    Compound bow - Has a system of pulleys and cables to bend the limbs, allowing greater power with less effort

    Bowman - Another term for archer

    Robin Hood – When an archer shoots an arrow into a bullseye, then sends the next shaft perfectly into the first

    Draw - The act of pulling the bow string back to take a shot

    Nock - The notch at the end of an arrow that rests against the bow string

    Helpful links

    Rio 2016 para-archery webpage

    IPC para-archery webpage

    World archery webpage

    Editor’s note: Each sport on the Rio 2016 Paralympic programme will have a dedicated week of featured content published on paralympic.org. Every week a new sport will be featured and the series will run until September’s Games, helping the public understand more about the 22 sports being contested in Rio.

    _____

    Sport fans from around the world can now buy their Paralympic tickets for Rio 2016 from authorised ticket resellers (ATRs).

    The IPC’s Global ATR is Jet Set Sports, and Rio 2016 tickets and packages can be purchased on the CoSport website.

    Residents of Brazil can buy 2016 Paralympics tickets directly from the Rio 2016 website.

    • Tweet
      • print
      • send
    LATEST NEWS
    Nadezhda Fedorova suspended for anti-doping violation 05.08.2019 Nadezhda Fedorova suspended for anti-doping violation
    Nottwil 2019: USA top table as Junior Worlds conclude 05.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: USA top table as Junior Worlds conclude
    Nottwil 2019: Breathless third day 04.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: Breathless third day
    Nottwil 2019: Noah Malone makes his way 03.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: Noah Malone makes his way
    Vote for July’s Athlete of the Month 02.08.2019 Vote for July’s Athlete of the Month
    More news...following the link
    Worldwide Paralympic Partners
    Go to Atos partner page
    Go to Bridgestone partner page
    Go to OttoBock partner page
    Go to Panasonic partner page
    Go to Samsung partner page
    Go to Toyota partner page
    Go to Visa partner page
    International Partners
    Go to Allianz partner page
    Go to BP partner page
    Go to Citi partner page
    • FAQ
    • Privacy
    • Imprint
    • Jobs
    Powered by Go to Atos. Worldwide IPC partner page
    The Paralympic Games
    Summer Games
    Winter Games
    Sochi 2014
    Rio 2016
    All the results & medallist since 1960
    Games video archive
    About the IPC
    Who we are
    Anti-Doping
    Medical
    Partners
    IPC Strategic Plan 2015-2018
    IPC Handbook
    Publications and Documents
    Media Centre
    News
    Features & Interviews
    The Paralympian
    Videos
    Athlete of the Month
    Media Office
    Sports
    Summer Sports
    Winter Sports
    Biographies
    NPCS
    Africa
    America
    Asia
    Europe
    Oceania
    Go to International Paralympic Committee homepage
    Official Website of the Paralympic Movement • IPC
    Homepage
    Paralympic Games
    The IPC
    Results, Ranking & Records
    Media Centre
    Videos
    Sports
    International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
    Adenauerallee 212-214, 53113 Bonn, Germany
    Telephone: +49-228-2097-200 • Fax: +49-228-2097-209 • E-mail: [email protected]
    23:20:16