Para Archery

PARA ARCHERY

Athletes with a physical impairment are eligible to compete in the sport at the Paralympics. There are three classes, defined by the degree to which the competitors are limited in their ability to perform activities within the sport:

A Paralympic sport since 1960, archery is governed by World Archery. 

Para archery was the first sport where wheelchair athletes had organised competition and was one of the original Paralympic sports at Rome 1960.

It 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.

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.

ELIGIBLE IMPAIRMENT TYPES

Impaired muscle power
Athetosis
Impaired passive range of movement
Hypertonia
Limb deficiency
Ataxia

CLASSES

Open class contains both standing athletes and those in a wheelchair, archers position themselves at a 90-degree angle to the target and may use body support.

W1 athletes may use either bow limited to 45lbs in draw weight and without magnifying sights

ST (standing) – athletes compete from a standing position
W1 (wheelchair 1) – athletes compete from a seated position and have an impairment that affects their arms, legs and trunk
W2 (wheelchair 2) – athletes compete for a seated position and have an impairment that affects their legs and trunk