Since the dawn of time, humans have beenusing bows and arrows to hunt animals so that they could ensure their ownsurvival. The first bow and arrow may have been made from stick, bone, andstring, but modern-day bow and arrows seem like a completely different beastaltogether. They have been carefully crafted and designed to provide accurateand consistent shots for their users. For hunting, archers have benefited fromthe innovations in bow making by having bows that can shoot faster and hitharder, ensuring that they are killing animals in the most humane and efficientmanner possible. However, today we will take a look at the world of Olympicarchery, where athletes shoot at targets, rather than hunters at animals. How did Olympic archery come to be? Whatequipment helps make archers so accurate? We’ll answer this and some othercommon questions and misconceptions people have about Olympic archery.
As mentioned earlier, the earliest bow andarrow is believed to have been invented around 71,000 years ago! When huntersbegan to move around the world following herds of moving animals, they needed aweapon that could be shot faster than a spear and was able to travel over adecent distance.
As time went on, the bow and arrow startedbeing used for militaristic purposes for many armies of the past, from theMongolian empire to the early English knights and native Americans. With thebow and arrow being so widely used across time, they eventually became no onlyweapons, but tools for sport and competition.
As early as the 1840s, archery was losingits place in the world with the invention of the superior guns and crossbows.However, people still wanted to compete with bows and arrows, so manyindependent sporting leagues were created to enjoy archery as a sport.
In 1900, archery was finally introducedinto the famous Olympic games where it was part of the summer Olympics until itwas removed in 1920. After 52 years, itwas brought back to the Olympic lineup again in 1972, where it has remainedever since. Archers from all around the world will gather in Tokyo in 2020 totest their skills and equipment to see which men and women will have thesteadiest aim and the best shot for a chance to be immortalized among the greatarchers of history.
Iconic around the world, the famous coloredtargets seen at competitive archery events leave even the spectators wonderingwhat it takes to hit a bullseye with the whole world watching. The standardtarget archers use is roughly 48 inches in diameter with the innermost ringworth ten points being only 4.8 inches in diameter. From the outside in, theten rings are arranged so that the closer your shot is to the center, thecloser you can get to the maximum of ten points per shot. The rings worth theleast amount of points are the largest and the rings get smaller as theirrespective point values also increase. With archers practicing for years to tryand get their arrows as close to the center as possible, it can be an immensetask to try and consistently hit arrows within the iconic inner rings.
With the targets being naturally difficultto hit, having a distance that creates a sense of competition makes for anevent that provides difficult to even the most experienced archers.Historically, the archers have shot at the target at a distance of 77 yards. Atthis distance, the middle of the target down the range is incredibly small andadds to the overall difficulty of the sport. All archers must stand at asolidified line where they all shoot from. When archers shoot at the Olympics,they all must align themselves with the line at the same time forqualifications, so that every archer is shooting from the same point, in orderto keep the playing field level.
From hunting in a forest to the final shottaken at the Olympics, every archer must balance their skills with theirselection of equipment, whose purpose is to improve their overall performance.The Olympics have strict regulations in place that determine what assistiveaids can be used, unlike when you hunt recreationally. Find the most essentialpieces of equipment used by Olympic archers in order to help improve theiraccuracy below:
The Bow
Unquestionably the most important piece ofequipment for any archer in any scenario – the bow. The bow an archer uses isessentially an extension of the archer, as they seek to learn how their bowswork and how to extract the most performance out of them.
In the Olympics, the only type of bow thatis allowed to be used is a recurve bow. With such a simplistic design that isakin to some of the first bows ever used, using recurve bows at the Olympicsmay seem strange when the superior compound bow exists, but there are a fewreasons for this decision. While the skill of the archer is certainlyimportant, the bows that are used can often completely change the outcome of acompetition. If compound bows were introduced to the Olympics, it would nolonger be a question of who has the most skill, but who has the best bow. Theskill levels from different countries can range from historically dominant tobrand new teams, so by keeping the playing field even, the Olympics are able tocreate an event that depends on the skill of the archer and not the superiorityof the bow used.
In America and Europe, compound bows havebecome incredibly popular among hunting and sporting archers alike. Thisadvantage over Asian countries who use the recurve bow in most archery activitywould create vast differences among archers and put the teams with inferiorbows in last place. Olympic recurve bows consist of a central riser and twolimbs, which are attached by the firing string. Even though the design of thesebows may seem very simple, the engineering and materials that created them issimilar to the manufacturing process of a Formula One car. With teams chasingto implement new materials like carbon fiber and titanium into their bows, itis the small differences in the bows and accessories that can change thecharacteristics of how they shoot and give one archer an advantage overanother.
The Riser
With only three main pieces making up anOlympic bow, making sure that you have best available parts will ensure thatyou have a fair chance competing at such a high level. The bow riser is thecore segment of the bow where the archer will hold onto the bow and rest thearrow. With such a niche market, the most common and highly regardeddistributor of Olympic risers and limbs is Hoyt Archery, who have beenproviding risers to the top names in archery for years. The benefit to havinginterchangeable risers and limbs means that an archer can mix and match partsto get the desired shooting characteristics that provide them with the highestaccuracy possible. Allowing for adjustable arrow rest positions, string tensionadjustment, and many other minute adjustments, modern risers are technologicalmarvels compared to the traditional wooden bows of old. With the addition ofcarbon fiber and titanium builds, bows have become lighter and stronger thanever before.
The Stabilizer
When you look at a traditional bow andarrow compared to the advanced bow used at the Olympic level, the primary thingthat literally and figuratively sticks out is those strange metal poles thatbranch out in several directions. Those poles are known as stabilizers and giveOlympic archers the stability to make consistent shots in variable conditions.What these long poles do is act as a balancing system to allow the bow to restperfectly in the hands of the archer so that their shots are not affected by unevenweight distribution. Archers can add or take away weights from these rods thatallow them to change where the weight lies on the bow for varied shootingcharacteristics. An added befit of having the extra weight and stabilization inshooting is that the stabilizers also have the added benefit of absorbing thevibrations created during firing to reduce fatigue on the archer and allow formore accurate and consistent shots.
The Arrow
Even if an archer has the best bow in theworld, they need to have arrows that are able to work with and add to theperformance of their bows, to ensure a balanced platform. A modern-day Olympicarrow is usually made up of carbon and light-weight aluminum elements to allowfor a lightweight package with advanced durability and precise flyingcharacteristics. Traveling at a blistering 650 feet per second, the arrows, andbows that shoot them, can fire at immense speed and are able to be reused manytimes due to the strong materials and well-built design structure. The arrowsare made up of the tip, the metal point that hits the target; the shaft, thelong carbon-made element; and the knock, which locks into the firing string andholds the arrow to the bow.
The Sight
With such strict regulations with every other aspect of the bow, the sight that the archers use is no exception to the rules. Sights that improve the distance an archer can see have been banned for Olympic use, due to the unfair advantage they give to the user, who is able to see the targets easier than those without zoomed optics. Under Olympic regulations, archers may utilize pin sights that are basic, yet effective. The sights used by Olympic archers contain a few horizontal pegs, which are used to aim at different distances. This allows archers to adjust their aim and sight position, depending on varying weather conditions. Compared to the complicated hunting sights with levels and zooms, the basic sights used by Olympic archers are incredibly simple, but still allow for the archers to hit targets with extreme precision.
With so many interesting facets to thesport of archery at the Olympic level, there are many questions that spectatorsmay have. By answering some of the most frequently asked questions that are askedabout the Olympic sport of archery, you will have a better understanding ofeverything that goes into archery and what makes it such an interesting sport.
What Kind of Bows do Olympic Archers Use?
When you see the Olympics on TV, you mostlikely will see the archers with very complicated bows and fancy arrows thatlook very complex. The interesting thing about the bows they use is that, whilethey may appear to be incredibly complicated, they are actually one of thesimplest forms of modern bows. The bows Olympic archers use are called recurvebows and are essentially just modernized versions of a traditional wooden bow.Unlike compound bows with fly wheels and strong hitting power for hunting, recurvebows are designed for simplicity that provides accuracy. The reason for thebows looking so strange is the various mechanisms the archers have attached totheir bows, like stabilizers and sights, which make the bows seem much morecomplicated than they actually are.
Is Archery an Olympic Sport?
While the verdict on archery as an Olympicsport has been debated for many years, most current day people would considerarchery to be an Olympic sport. Archery as a sport in general is one of theoldest sports around the world. It has a rich history with various clubs andteams from all over the world coming up with their own competitions to see whoamong them was the best archer, either on foot or sometimes even on a horse.Added to the Olympics in 1900, archery remained popular in the early part ofthe century, but then disappeared for about fifty years as it was removed fromthe games. Archery made its comeback to the Olympics in 1972 and has remainedto this day. With archery having a place at the next Olympic games taking placein Tokyo, the popularity of the sport has remained high and it has solidifiedits place among the Olympic community, where it appears it will remain for theforeseeable future.
What Size are Olympic Archery Targets?
The standard Olympic archery target size isabout 48 inches in diameter or 1.22 meters. This target contains ten rings thatvary in color and point value from the outside to the inside. The outside whiterings give the archer either one or two points, the next black rings on theinside give three and four points, the blue rings next inside give five and sixpoints, the inner red ring give seven and eight points, and the inner mostyellow rings give nine and ten points. For Olympic archers, the goal of everyshot is to hit somewhere in the yellow so they can get either nine or tenpoints per arrow. At a distance of 70 meters away, hitting the yellow target isincredibly difficult and requires a great amount of skill from any archer.
Do Olympic Archers Use Compound Bows?
While the bows Olympic archers use may lookvery similar to the complex compound bows, no competitor uses a compound bowfor a few reasons. The primary reason that compound bows are not allowed to beused at the Olympics is that the complex wheel systems that are used bycompound bows to provide stopping power and speed for hunting are justunnecessary for the Olympics, where the primary test is about who is mostaccurate. Another reason is that, while compound bows may be popular in Americaand Europe, the nations in Asia and Australia are more adapted to traditionalrecurve bows. By using recurve bows as the standard for the Olympics, the edgethat would be gained for American and European teams with more powerful bowsdisappears, as every archer is forced to use the same general style of bow.
What Weight Bow do Olympic Archers Use?
Unlike bows used for hunting and othertypes of archery, Olympic bows are built to be as light as possible, whilestill providing enough power to send arrows flying at a high speed. While theweight of the actual bows can vary drastically, depending on an archer’sdesired preference, most standard bows weigh on average somewhere around threepounds, naked. They are then made heavier with weights and balances to anarcher’s preference. However, in archery terms, the more important weight thatmatters is the bows draw weight. This is the amount of force required to pullback a bow and how much energy the arrow fired will contain. An Olympic bow hasan average draw weight of around 50 pounds, which is similar to some of thelower power compound hunting bows. The lower draw weight is a result of archerspreferencing speed and consistency over power when it comes to precisionarchery.
Do Olympic Archers use Releases?
A release in archery is a small device thatyou can use to fire off shots consistently and is able to remove the strain onyour fingers from holding a pulled back bow, as it displaces the pressurethroughout your hand for more comfort. These devices are currently illegal inthe Olympic archery world, due to the fact that they make firing an arrow anincredibly easy process and would result in a complete advantage to anyoneusing them. When hunters use these incredibly useful arrow releases, they actlike a trigger, allowing them to fire their bows with a simple button push.While Olympians can’t use releases, they are allowed to use a tab to covertheir fingers, so they are protected from the often-abrasive strings that theywill be firing many times a session.
Why do Olympic Archers Swing Their Bows?
While it may appear at first glance likeOlympic archer swing their bows just to make an affect, there is an actualreason for swinging the bow before shooting it. While it may seem like anarcher has a firm grip on their bow from a distance, the grip an archer has ontheir bow is actually incredibly light as to prevent any tension on the bowthat may lead to a missed target. The archers at the Olympics will tie theirbow to the hand that is holding it lightly so that once the shot is fired, thetension that holds the bow up disappears and causes the bow to drop down, dueto its added weight from stabilizers. The use of a string ensures the bow justswings down onto the archer’s hand and does not simply fall on the ground andbreak.
How far do Olympic Archers Shoot?
When Olympic archers shoot at the officialgames, they must shoot at a target at a distance of roughly 70 meters. However,many archers will actually practice their shooting from further away so thatwhen they have to shoot regulation distances, it feels easier compared to thelonger distance shots.
What is the Olympic Archery Distance?
In order to make sure there is a levelplaying field for competition, all archers at the Olympics shoot at targetsfrom the same distance as one another. The current distance that archers shootat the targets from is roughly 70 meters which is established by a line thatall archers must stand behind. If an archer goes in front of this line orstands too far behind, they may be disqualified.
With Olympic archeryhaving such a rich history and so many regulations, it leads to be a complexand interesting sport. By understanding the equipment archers use, the heavilyresearched bows, and what makes the shooting special, understanding Olympicarchery and enjoying the sport can be easier than ever before.
