How Many Archery Events Are There in the Olympics?

Are you an archery fan? If yes this article is going to be an interesting one for you. It is because we are going to tell you how many archery events are there in the Olympics.

Currently, there are a total of four archery events in the Olympics. These events are:

Individual recurve
Team recurve
Individual compound
Team compound

Apart from that, archery events can be divided into three major sections which we are going to discuss below along with a detailed explanation of the above. If you are interested in knowing all about it then keep on reading!

Table of Contents

How Many Archery Events are There in the Olympics?

As mentioned earlier there are a total of four archery events in the Olympics. Let us take a look at each one of them in detail:

1. Individual recurve:

In this event, each archer uses a recurve bow and shoots at targets placed 70 meters away. The target is 1.22 meters in diameter and has 10 scoring rings. This event was first introduced in the 1972 Summer Olympics.

2. Team Recurve:

This is similar to the individual recurve event with the only difference being that there are three archers in a team instead of just one.

3. Individual compound:

In this event, each archer uses a compound bow and shoots at targets placed 50 meters away. The target is 1.22 meters in diameter and has 10 scoring rings. This event was first introduced in the 1988 Summer Olympics.

4. Team compound:

This is similar to the individual compound event with the only difference being that there are three archers in a team instead of just one.

Note:- I made this Article How Far is the Target in Olympic Archery? It’s Important To know.

So these were the four archery events that are a part of the Olympics currently. Now let us take a look at the three different sections under which these events can be classified:

Olympic Rounds: These rounds have been specifically designed for the Olympics. The rules for these rounds are set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
World Archery Rounds: These rounds have been designed by World Archery Federation (WA). The rules for these rounds are set by WA.
National Rounds: These rounds have been designed by the national federation of each country. The rules for these rounds vary from country to country.

Currently, the Olympic and World Archery rounds are being used in all four archery events which are a part of the Olympics.

How Many Olympic Archery Categories are There?

When it comes to categories Archery can be divided into three main categories based upon its nature and style of the game. Let’s take a closer look and discuss them one by one.

1. Target Archery

The first category is called target archery because in this type of archery the main focus is given on hitting the target. There are different static and mobile targets that are shot by the competitor in a succession of shots. The distance of the target varies from round to round and a cumulative score is considered throughout the match.

2. Indoor Archery

The next category is called indoor archery and as the name suggests it is played indoors. The main difference between this category and target archery is that the distance of the target is fixed in indoor archery which is 18 meters. Also, the targets are much smaller as compared to those used in target archery.

3. Field Archery

The last category is called field archery and it includes all the other types of archery that don’t come under target or indoor archery. In field archery, the targets are placed at different unmarked distances in an outdoor setting.

This type of archery tests the skill and accuracy of an archer to a great extent. It is because in field archery there are additional challenges such as wind and temperature that the archer need to take into account while shooting.

These were the three main categories of archery based on its nature and style of play. Now let us take a look at the different types of equipment that are used in archery.

What Type of Equipment is Used in Archery?

The type of equipment that is used in archery depends upon the category of the game. Let us take a look at the different types of equipment used in the three main categories of archery:

1. Target Archery

In target archery, the main focus is given on hitting the target and hence the emphasis is on accuracy. The following is the list of equipment used in target archery:

Recurve bow
Compound bow
Longbow

2. Indoor Archery

In indoor archery, the targets are placed at a fixed distance of 18 meters and hence the emphasis is on consistency. The following is the list of equipment used in indoor archery:

Recurve bow
Compound bow

3. Field Archery

In field archery, the targets are placed at different unmarked distances in an outdoor setting and hence the emphasis is on both accuracy and distance. The following is the list of equipment used in field archery:

Recurve bow
Compound bow
Crossbow

These were the different types of equipment used in archery based on the category of the game. Now that you know about the different types of equipment, let us take a look at the different types of arrows that are used in archery.

What are the Different Types of Arrows?

The type of arrow that is used in archery depends upon the category of the game. Let us take a look at the different types of arrows used in the three main categories of archery:

1. Target Archery

In target archery, the main focus is given on hitting the target and hence the emphasis is on accuracy. The following are the different types of arrows used in target archery:

Aluminum arrows
Carbon arrows

2. Indoor Archery

In indoor archery, the targets are placed at a fixed distance of 18 meters and hence the emphasis is on consistency. The following are the different types of arrows used in indoor archery:

Aluminum arrows

3. Field Archery

In field archery, the targets are placed at different unmarked distances in an outdoor setting and hence the emphasis is on both accuracy and distance. The following are the different types of arrows used in field archery:

Aluminum arrows
Carbon arrows

These were the different types of arrows used in archery based on the category of the game.

Last Minute Thoughts!

So in this article, we discussed how many archery events are there in the Olympics and what are the different categories of archery. Furthermore, we also talked about the bows and arrows used in different types of games.

We hope after making it this far you will have a solid idea about the number of archery events in the Olympic games along with some additional information.

Did you find this article interesting? Share your valuable thoughts with us using the comments section. We respond to every comment and you can also give us your kind suggestions too.

Happy Archery!

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How Many Archery Events Are There in the Olympics?