Archery

Archery

Basics

Archery is a sport in both the Olympics and Paralympics, the sport has been in the Paralympic programme since the 1960 Paralympics in Rome. However, archery was a sport that featured at the 1948 Paralympic Games at Stoke Mandeville

A fun, technical and gripping sport, the sport’s aims and regulations are similar to able bodied archery, with the aim to shoot arrows as close to the centre of the target as possible. The only difference in Paralympic archery is that the target is 70 metres away, compared to able bodied distances of up to 90 metres

Competitions consist of individual and team events, both standing and sitting

Who can participate?

Many people can participate in archery for fun or competitively, regardless of their disability. Whether they have a physical, sensory or learning difficulty, the sport prides itself on being inclusive for all. Classification takes place before every major competition to ensure that new athletes have correct classification. There are three classifications for physically disabled athletes:

Archery Standing (ARST)
Archers in this class compete with their feet on the floor, either by sitting on a stool or standing up.
- No impairment in their arms
- Mild impairment in their legs such as loss of muscle strength, mobility and/or co-ordination
- An example of an athlete in this class would be an incomplete paraplegic

Archery Wheelchair 1 (ARW1)
- Archers in this class compete in a wheelchair
- Impairment in their arms i.e. limited movement, strength and/or control
- Poor trunk control
- No function in the legs due to amputation or limitations of movement, strength and/or control
- An example of an athlete in this class would be a tetraplegic

Archery Wheelchair 2 (ARW2)
- Archers in this class compete in a wheelchair and use a wheelchair for every day use
- They have paraplegia and have loss of function in their lower limbs

Where in the world?

37 countries compete regularly in archery and this number is growing rapidly due to new technology and equipment, such as stools making it easier for disabled athletes to participate in the sport. Similar to able bodied archery Asian countries including Republic of Korea, Malaysia and China dominate the sport.

Great Britain have their own Paralympic and able bodied champion in the sport. Danielle Brown who competes in the standing classification won Paralympic Gold in Beijing before winning gold in the team event at last years Commonwealth Games in Delhi, in doing this she became the first Paralympian to win able bodied gold for England.

What’s near me?

If you have a steady aim and are good at concentrating, this is the sport for you! To become involved in archery you need to find a local club that suits your needs. British Wheelchair Archery Association host training weekends regularly at Stoke Mandeville, Aylesbury for all budding archers.

Further information

British Wheelchair Archery Association

click here to find your local archery club

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