Athletics

What does the sport involve?

Archers shoot at a 122cm circular target set at a distance of 70 metres. From Beijing onwards both compound and recurve bows will be in use. There are both standing and wheelchair, individual and team events with qualifying rounds, followed by a final elimination round. In the elimination round, which is the final, the 8 archers remaining in the competition following the qualifying rounds are paired in competition until only the final 2 archers remain and compete to win the event. There are 3 archers per team in team events.

The rings of the target are scored as follows: Gold 10/9, Red 8/7, Blue 6/5, Black 4/3 and White 2/1

Who can compete?

Open to : Men and women with physical disabilities. Competitors are divided into 3 groups. ARST (standing) – full use of arms but some disability in legs. ARW1 (wheelchair) – disability in 4 limbs and ARW2 – wheelchair users with full arm use

Where do I start if I think I want to try this sport?

The national body responsible for organising this sport is:

Grand National Archery Society
Lilleshall National Sports Centre, Nr Newport, Shropshire TF10 9AT.
http://www.gnas.org/clubs

GNAS Disabled Archery
http://www.gnas.org/disabled/index.cfm -go to map - clubs in most areas
42 in Lancashire, 52 in Devon and Cornwall, 53 in Hampshire

Did you know?

Archery has been a paralympic sport since Rome 1960. One of the most ancient recorded activities for man (possibly woman too), dating back to prehistoric times. Also had a substantial influence in shaping the course of history, including British, over many centuries

Would I like this sport and what are the benefits?

If you are looking for a sport that requires focus, precision and skill and a passion to improve individual performance, then maybe archery is the sport for you. Requires a certain amount of strength and endurance but is also a sport requiring mental concentration

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