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Some
authorities date the origin of archery as far
back as 25,000 B.C. The earliest people known
to have used the bow and arrow were the ancient
Egyptians, who adopted the weapon at least
5,000 years ago. The basics of archery are
still the same; however, the modern bows used
in the sport are not. They are incredibly complicated,
augmented by bowsights, bowmarks, foresights,
and stabilizers. Olympic archers must have
exceptional control, concentration, and upper-body
strength to give the arrows the speed and accuracy
needed to hit their target. The standard target
is 1.22 meters, and there is a standard distance
of 70 meters for all events. |
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Click
a link to
read more about |
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 Scoring
The circular target has a series of ten concentric rings
around a solid gold center, or "bull's-eye." Ranging
outward from the bull's eye, the colors of the rings are red,
blue, black, and white. The rings are assigned point values
for arrows shot into them ranging from 10 for a bull's-eye
to 1 point for an arrow in the outer white ring. Striking the
target dead-center is somewhat like standing on the goal line
of a football field and hitting an apple under the opposite
goal post.
Competition
Men and women compete in separate divisions, and the top 64
men and 64 women from the qualifying rounds then enter head
to head direct elimination matches. The winner of each match
advances until the gold medal winner is determined. Matches
use 18 arrows until the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals,
which are 12-arrow matches.
Archers can propel arrows at speeds of more
than 150 miles per hour.
News, History,
and Fast Facts
More sports
General Sports Links
Olympians will compete in dozens of sports this summer. Even though Gateway
to the Summer Games can't feature them all, you can learn about each and
every one by visiting the sites listed below.
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