You might find it strange but archery as a sport was never incorporated in the first Olympics in Greece. Since the Olympics have been ongoing for the past 1000 years, it might just be possible that it was part of the movement sometime in the past. Years when archery started to get included as a sport event in the Olympics were 1900 for men and 1904 for women.

During the early years of Olympics, there was no regularity in the game rules and archery was not included as an event any more after 1920. After many years, the international participant countries agreed to the Olympics rules but archery could only be seen as a sport during the 1972 Munich Olympics. In 1988, team competitions were held in addition to the individual events.

Since 1992, the structure of the game is head-to-head competition amongst 64 top players. Individual for men, individual for women, team for men and team for women are the four events in archery. In the individual events for men and women, players throw 72 arrows at the bull’s eye target standing at a distance of 70 meters which is 229 feel and 8 inches. 40 seconds is the time allowed between two shots and the aim is to reach a score of 720 and a ‘sudden death’ overtime shot is played in case of a tie.

Team competitions consist of 16 3-archer teams and as in the individual events, each archer shoots 72 arrows which are shot from a distance of 70 meters. In a tie score, each team member will shoot one arrow and the arrow closest to the center of the target determines the winner. The target is made up of ten concentric rings and you can score 1 point if your arrow hits the outermost ring with the score going up by 1 point as you get closer to the center, which if hit, you score 10 points.

Olympic archery events involve using a recurve bow which enables the arrow to traverse at the speed of 150 mph. These extraordinary bows are made from wood, fiberglass and graphite which helps in the arrow to travel in a straight line and this stabilizing effect helps for a perfect aim. The equipment is costly and can go beyond 00 the reason being strings made from hydrocarbon or from Kelvar and the arrows from aluminum or carbon graphite.

It takes about ten years of training to participate at the Olympics level in the archery events. To compete in these games, the player has to be in top form. A good coach is also very important – proper equipment, of course, is also needed. Luckily, archery is a n affordable sports compared to many others. You need to study, learn and communicate with other archers and then participate in local events to get expertise but before all this, you need to practice regularly.

This sport is open to even athletes suffering from some disabilities. A New Zealand woman, Neroli Fairhall, was the first paraplegic to compete in the Olympic Games and was a gold medalist in the Commonwealth Games. Being a family-oriented activity, this sport can be enjoyed for a lifetime.

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