Archery at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Encyclopedia
Archery
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
was held at Panathinaiko Stadium
in Athens
, Greece
with ranking rounds on 12 August and regular competition held from 15 August to 21 August. One hundred twenty-eight archers from forty-three nations competed in the four gold medal
events—individual and team events for men and for women—that were contested at these games.
The stadium, often called Kallimarmaro, is notable as the site of the first Olympic Games
and even earlier, where the Ancient Greeks' Panathenean Games were hosted. At the behest of James Easton, president of the International Archery Federation
, archery events were held in the historic stadium, hoping that its history and natural beauty would attract the public to the sport. Laurence Godfrey
, the fourth-place finisher in the men's individual event, remarked that the stadium inspired pride, while American Vic Wunderle
spoke for most of the archers in saying, "It's a great honor and a privilege to be able to compete inside the 1896 Olympic Stadium."
The Korean team won three out of the four gold medals contested. Four Olympic record
s and several other world record
s were broken at these games
, despite poor weather conditions during the preliminary rounds of competition.
There were four ways for National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to qualify individual archers for the Olympics in archery. For each gender, the host nation (Greece
) was guaranteed three spots. The 2003 World Target Competition's top 8 teams (not including the host nation) each received three spots, and the 19 highest ranked archers after the team qualifiers were removed also received spots. Fifteen of the remaining eighteen spots were divided equally among the five Olympic continents
for allocation in continental tournaments. The last three spots in each gender were determined by the Tripartite Commission. Sixty-four archers of each sex took part in the Olympics, with each NOC being able to enter a maximum of three archers.
For all archery events at the Olympics, archers stand 70 metres from their target. The target consists of concentric circles, and has a total diameter of 122 cm. Archers earn points based on which circle their arrow landed in, with ten points awarded for hitting the center circle, and one point awarded for hitting the outermost circle. During the ranking rounds, each archer shot twelve ends, or groups, of six arrows per end. The score from that round determined the match-ups in the elimination rounds, with high-ranking archers facing low-ranking archers. The first three rounds of elimination used six ends of three arrows, narrowing the field of archers from 64 to 8. The three final rounds (quarterfinals, semifinals, and medal matches) each used four ends of three arrows.
Thirteen men's and fifteen women's teams competed in the team competitions. The teams consisted of the country's three archers from the individual round, and the team's initial ranking was determined by summing the three members' scores in the individual ranking round. Each round of eliminations consisted of each team firing 27 arrows (9 by each archer).
, and Lee Sung-Jin) ranking rounds and the men's individual ranking round (Im Dong Hyun), though none of those scores counted as Olympic records because the ranking round was held before the opening ceremony. Olympic records were broken in both the men's and women's 36-arrow 1/16 and 1/8 rounds combined (by Chen Szu Yuan
of Chinese Taipei and Yun of Korea), as well as in the men's 18-arrow match (by Park Kyung Mo of Korea) and 36-arrow finals rounds combined (by Tim Cuddihy
of Australia).
In the men's events, the Korean team shot 12 maximum scores of 10 to win the gold medal against Chinese Taipei 251-245. Losing by two points, the United States failed to fend of the Ukraine team to capture the bronze. The event causing the most upset however was the men's individual, the only event that the Korean team has never won and yet again failed to clinch. Defending champion Simon Fairweather
was ousted from the competition in a first round loss due to blustery weather conditions. The wind caused some archers like Fairweather to make one-point shots, and its strength even caused others to miss their targets completely. The final matches of this event also saw competitors coming close in score, with Italian Marco Galiazzo
beating the Japanese Hiroshi Yamamoto by only two points to win gold. Even closer still was the bronze medal match, in which Britain's Laurence Godfrey
was outshot 112-113 by seventeen-year-old Australian Tim Cuddihy
, who himself only managed to get into the semifinals by one point.
The woman's individual event fell easily to the Koreans; they have won this event continuously since the 1984 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles and swept all three medals at the 2000 Olympics
. Though both gold and silver fell to Korean archers, Alison Williamson
captured the bronze medal, giving Britain its first medal in archery since 1992. In the team event, the Korean women beat the Chinese team 241-240 to win the gold medal, making this their eleventh straight women's team championship win. Taiwan easily took the bronze medal over France.
continued its domination of the sport, winning three of the four gold medal
s as well as a silver. Marco Galiazzo
won the men's individual competition, earning Italy the nation's first gold medal in Olympic archery, blocking Hiroshi Yamamoto's attempt to win Japan's first gold medal. Chinese Taipei
, which had never before won a medal in archery, won a silver and a bronze.
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
was held at Panathinaiko Stadium
Panathinaiko Stadium
The Panathinaiko or Panathenaic Stadium , also known as the Kallimarmaro , is an athletic stadium in Athens that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
with ranking rounds on 12 August and regular competition held from 15 August to 21 August. One hundred twenty-eight archers from forty-three nations competed in the four gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
events—individual and team events for men and for women—that were contested at these games.
The stadium, often called Kallimarmaro, is notable as the site of the first Olympic Games
1896 Summer Olympics
The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Athens, Greece, from April 6 to April 15, 1896. It was the first international Olympic Games held in the Modern era...
and even earlier, where the Ancient Greeks' Panathenean Games were hosted. At the behest of James Easton, president of the International Archery Federation
International Archery Federation
The International Archery Federation is the governing body of the sport of archery. It is based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is composed of 140 national archery associations, and is recognized by the International Olympic Committee.-History:FITA was founded on 4 September 1931 in Poland...
, archery events were held in the historic stadium, hoping that its history and natural beauty would attract the public to the sport. Laurence Godfrey
Laurence Godfrey (archer)
Laurence Paul Godfrey is an athlete from the United Kingdom. He competes in archery.He studied for an HND in Mechanical Manufacturing at the University of the West of England from 1997 to 2000.-2004 Summer Olympics:...
, the fourth-place finisher in the men's individual event, remarked that the stadium inspired pride, while American Vic Wunderle
Vic Wunderle
Victor S. Wunderle is an archer from the United States.-Personal:Wunderle was raised in Mason City, Illinois. His passion for archery started at the age five. He competed in many competitions and received many honors throughout his childhood...
spoke for most of the archers in saying, "It's a great honor and a privilege to be able to compete inside the 1896 Olympic Stadium."
The Korean team won three out of the four gold medals contested. Four Olympic record
Olympic record
Olympic records are the best performances in a specific event in that event's history in either the Summer Olympic Games or the Winter Olympic Games...
s and several other world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
s were broken at these games
Olympic records at the 2004 Summer Olympics
-Archery:*Men's Individual : Korea's Park Kyung Mo, 173 points*Women's Individual : Korea's Yun Mi Jin, 173 points -Shooting:...
, despite poor weather conditions during the preliminary rounds of competition.
Qualification and format
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
) was guaranteed three spots. The 2003 World Target Competition's top 8 teams (not including the host nation) each received three spots, and the 19 highest ranked archers after the team qualifiers were removed also received spots. Fifteen of the remaining eighteen spots were divided equally among the five Olympic continents
Olympic symbols
The Olympic symbols are icons, flags and symbols used by the International Olympic Committee to promote the Olympic Games. Some—such as the flame, fanfare, and theme—are more common during Olympic competition, but others, such as the flag, can be seen throughout the year.-Motto:The Olympic motto is...
for allocation in continental tournaments. The last three spots in each gender were determined by the Tripartite Commission. Sixty-four archers of each sex took part in the Olympics, with each NOC being able to enter a maximum of three archers.
For all archery events at the Olympics, archers stand 70 metres from their target. The target consists of concentric circles, and has a total diameter of 122 cm. Archers earn points based on which circle their arrow landed in, with ten points awarded for hitting the center circle, and one point awarded for hitting the outermost circle. During the ranking rounds, each archer shot twelve ends, or groups, of six arrows per end. The score from that round determined the match-ups in the elimination rounds, with high-ranking archers facing low-ranking archers. The first three rounds of elimination used six ends of three arrows, narrowing the field of archers from 64 to 8. The three final rounds (quarterfinals, semifinals, and medal matches) each used four ends of three arrows.
Thirteen men's and fifteen women's teams competed in the team competitions. The teams consisted of the country's three archers from the individual round, and the team's initial ranking was determined by summing the three members' scores in the individual ranking round. Each round of eliminations consisted of each team firing 27 arrows (9 by each archer).
Medal summary
| Men's individual |
|||
| Women's individual |
|||
| Men's team |
Im Dong-Hyun Im Dong-hyun Im Dong-Hyun is a South Korean archer. He competes for the Korean national team.At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Im set a world record in the 72 arrow men's individual ranking round, with a score of 687. He then won his first three elimination matches, advancing to the quarterfinals... Jang Yong-Ho Jang Yong-Ho Jang Yong-Ho is an archer from South Korea.Jang competed for Korea at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual archery. He won his first match, advancing to the round of 32. In the second round of elimination, he was again victorious and advanced to the round of 16... Park Kyung-Mo Park Kyung-Mo Park Kyung-Mo is an archer from South Korea.-2004 Summer Olympics:Park competed for Korea at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual archery. He won his first three elimination matches, advancing to the quarterfinals... |
Chen Szu-yuan Liu Ming-huang Liu Ming-huang Liu Ming-huang is a Taiwanese archer who competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics.Liu competed for the Republic of China at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual archery. He won his first match, advancing to the round of 32, but was later defeated in the second round of elimination. His final... Wang Cheng-pang Wang Cheng-pang Wang Cheng-pang is a Taiwanese professional archer representing Chinese Taipei.-2004 Summer Olympics:Wang competed for the Republic of China at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual archery. He won his first match, advancing to the round of 32. In the second round of elimination, he was... |
Dmytro Hrachov Dmytro Hrachov Dmytro Hrachov is an athlete from Ukraine. He competes in archery.Hrachov competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual archery. He won his first match, advancing to the round of 32. In the second round of elimination, he was defeated... Viktor Ruban Viktor Ruban Viktor Ruban is an athlete from Ukraine, who competes in archery.-2004 Summer Olympics:Ruban competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual archery. He won his first match, advancing to the round of 32; he also won his second match, advancing to the round of 16... Oleksandr Serdyuk Oleksandr Serdyuk Oleksandr Serdyuk is an athlete from Ukraine. He competes in archery.-2004 Summer Olympics:Serdyuk competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual archery. He won his first match, advancing to the round of 32. In the second round of elimination, he was again victorious and advanced to... |
| Women's team |
Lee Sung-Jin Park Sung-Hyun Yun Mi-Jin Yun Mi-Jin Yun Mi-Jin is an archer from South Korea who has won three Olympic gold medals. She holds the Olympic record for a women's 18-arrow match, at 173 out of a possible 180... |
He Ying He Ying He Ying is an archer from the People's Republic of China who has competed at three Summer Olympics.In 1996 Atlanta Olympics He won the silver in the women's individual event. She competed again in 2000 in Sydney but did not win a medal.... Lin Sang Lin Sang Lin Sang is an archer from the People's Republic of China.Lin represented China at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She placed 11th in the women's individual ranking round with a 72-arrow score of 647. In the first round of elimination, she faced 54th-ranked Tshering Chhoden of Bhutan... Zhang Juanjuan Zhang Juanjuan Zhang Juanjuan is an archer from the People's Republic of China.- 2004 Summer Olympics :Zhang represented China at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She placed 5th in the women's individual ranking round with a 72-arrow score of 663. In the first round of elimination, she faced 60th-ranked Aurore Trayan... |
Chen Li Ju Chen Li Ju Chen Li-Ju is an athlete from the Republic of China. She competes in archery.Chen represented the Republic of China at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She placed 45th in the women's individual ranking round with a 72-arrow score of 617. In the first round of elimination, she faced 20th-ranked... Wu Hui Ju Wu Hui Ju Wu Hui-ju is an athlete from Republic of China. She competes in archery.-2004 Summer Olympics:Wu represented the Republic of China at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She placed 10th in the women's individual ranking round with a 72-arrow score of 649. In the first round of elimination, she faced... Yuan Shu Chi Yuan Shu Chi Yuan Shu Chi is an athlete from the Republic of China. She competes in archery.-2004 Summer Olympics:Yuan represented the Republic of China at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She placed 6th in the women's individual ranking round with a 72-arrow score of 658. In the first round of elimination, she... |
Event summary
For the sixth Olympics in a row, the South Korean team came out as the clear victor, taking three out of the four gold medals in Athens. Korean archers set new world records in the women's individual (Park Sung-Hyun) and team (Park, Yun Mi-JinYun Mi-Jin
Yun Mi-Jin is an archer from South Korea who has won three Olympic gold medals. She holds the Olympic record for a women's 18-arrow match, at 173 out of a possible 180...
, and Lee Sung-Jin) ranking rounds and the men's individual ranking round (Im Dong Hyun), though none of those scores counted as Olympic records because the ranking round was held before the opening ceremony. Olympic records were broken in both the men's and women's 36-arrow 1/16 and 1/8 rounds combined (by Chen Szu Yuan
Chen Szu Yuan
Chen Szu Yuan is an athlete from the Republic of China. He competes in archery.-2004 Summer Olympics:Chen competed for the Republic of China at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual archery. He won his first three elimination matches, advancing to the quarterfinals...
of Chinese Taipei and Yun of Korea), as well as in the men's 18-arrow match (by Park Kyung Mo of Korea) and 36-arrow finals rounds combined (by Tim Cuddihy
Tim Cuddihy
Timothy John Cuddihy is an archer from Toowoomba, Australia, who competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual matchplay archery. He won his first three elimination matches, advancing to the quarterfinals....
of Australia).
In the men's events, the Korean team shot 12 maximum scores of 10 to win the gold medal against Chinese Taipei 251-245. Losing by two points, the United States failed to fend of the Ukraine team to capture the bronze. The event causing the most upset however was the men's individual, the only event that the Korean team has never won and yet again failed to clinch. Defending champion Simon Fairweather
Simon Fairweather
Simon John Fairweather, OAM is an archer born in Adelaide, South Australia. He is 175 centimetres tall and weighs 71 kilograms.Fairweather won the individual gold medal at the World Championships in Poland in 1991....
was ousted from the competition in a first round loss due to blustery weather conditions. The wind caused some archers like Fairweather to make one-point shots, and its strength even caused others to miss their targets completely. The final matches of this event also saw competitors coming close in score, with Italian Marco Galiazzo
Marco Galiazzo
Marco Galiazzo is an athlete from Italy. He competes in archery.-2004 Summer Olympics:Galiazzo competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual archery. He won his first three elimination matches, advancing to the quarterfinals...
beating the Japanese Hiroshi Yamamoto by only two points to win gold. Even closer still was the bronze medal match, in which Britain's Laurence Godfrey
Laurence Godfrey (archer)
Laurence Paul Godfrey is an athlete from the United Kingdom. He competes in archery.He studied for an HND in Mechanical Manufacturing at the University of the West of England from 1997 to 2000.-2004 Summer Olympics:...
was outshot 112-113 by seventeen-year-old Australian Tim Cuddihy
Tim Cuddihy
Timothy John Cuddihy is an archer from Toowoomba, Australia, who competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual matchplay archery. He won his first three elimination matches, advancing to the quarterfinals....
, who himself only managed to get into the semifinals by one point.
The woman's individual event fell easily to the Koreans; they have won this event continuously since the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
in Los Angeles and swept all three medals at the 2000 Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. Though both gold and silver fell to Korean archers, Alison Williamson
Alison Williamson
Alison Jane Williamson is an athlete from Great Britain. She competes in archery.Williamson, who is a member of the Long Mynd Archers, has represented Great Britain at five Olympic Games, from 1992-2008....
captured the bronze medal, giving Britain its first medal in archery since 1992. In the team event, the Korean women beat the Chinese team 241-240 to win the gold medal, making this their eleventh straight women's team championship win. Taiwan easily took the bronze medal over France.
Participating nations
Forty-three nations contributed archers to compete in the events. Below is a list of the competing nations; in parentheses are the number of national competitors.Medal table
KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
continued its domination of the sport, winning three of the four gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
s as well as a silver. Marco Galiazzo
Marco Galiazzo
Marco Galiazzo is an athlete from Italy. He competes in archery.-2004 Summer Olympics:Galiazzo competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual archery. He won his first three elimination matches, advancing to the quarterfinals...
won the men's individual competition, earning Italy the nation's first gold medal in Olympic archery, blocking Hiroshi Yamamoto's attempt to win Japan's first gold medal. Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei is the designated name used by the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, to participate in some international organizations and almost all sporting events, such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games and Asian Para Games...
, which had never before won a medal in archery, won a silver and a bronze.
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