Once again, Les Invalides will host the para archery events, from August 29 to September 5.
Para archery has a long history with the Paralympic Games. Present since the beginning of Paralympism in 1960, para archery combines strength, concentration and precision. Unlike Olympic archery, two types of bow are used: a recurve bow and a compound bow which allows the bow to be drawn with less force. There are therefore competition categories with each time a men’s event, a women’s event and a mixed team event.
Depending on the bow, the shooting distance is also different. For the recurve bow, archers shoot at 70 meters on a 122 cm target divided into ten concentric circles. For the competitions with a compound bow, the distance is reduced to 50 meters and for the Open category, zones 1 to 5 are hidden and do not earn any points. To win an Open match with a recurve bow in the elimination phase, the archer must win six points. The match is played in sets, with one end of three arrows per athlete and per set. The winner of the set wins two points, and the points are shared, one each in the event of a tie. For the competitions with a compound bow, the point system is different. All archers shoot five ends of three arrows, and the highest cumulative total wins.
If historically para archery has brought many medals to the French delegation, this is no longer the case since 2008.
Para archery classifications
There are three categories in para archery.
- Open Recurve Bow: Athletes shoot with a recurve bow 70m from the target. Different arrangements are possible for athletes in this category, such as shooting in a wheelchair, sitting down or shooting the arrow with the mouth.
- Open compound bow: class with the same characteristics as the classic open bow. Athletes choosing this competition category often have more difficulty maintaining the bow under tension. The shot is taken at 50 meters.
- W1 Compound Bow: Class reserved for athletes whose disability impacts the stability of the trunk, lower and upper limbs. All competitors shoot from a wheelchair with a compound bow at a target 50 meters away
The para archery program
The para archery events will take place from August 29 to September 5 in front of Les Invalides, in the heart of Paris.
- Thursday August 29: classification tests
- Friday August 30: 16th finals Open Compound Bow Individual, men and women
- Saturday August 31: W1 Individual Women, Open Compound Women
- Sunday September 1st: W1 Individual Men, Open Compound Men
- Monday September 2: W1 Mixed Team, Open Compound Mixed Team
- Tuesday September 3: Open Classic Arc Individual Women
- Wednesday September 4: Open Classic Arc Individual Men
- Thursday September 5: Open Mixed Team Classic Arc