Archery dates back thousands of years, but the Paris Olympics event on Sunday attracted some spectators driven more by curiosity and inexpensive seats than a close following of the sport.

Archery is taking place at Esplanade des Invalides and Chris Milne of Wellington, New Zealand, attended the elimination round of the women's team event with his family.

"I know nothing about archery. Zero. We were given these tickets," he said. "Archery has a long history and it's a nice opportunity to enjoy the fantastic venue."

Archery is set against the stunning backdrop of the famous Hotel des Invalides as part of Paris' effort to integrate the Games among its city landmarks.

"I don’t know much about archery, but I happened to get tickets. It’s really nice to be here and watch the different countries compete and see who might be in the final,” said Jingyi Liang from China.

Pleasant sunny weather after two days of rain and clouds in Paris helped the archery audience enjoy the event.

“The weather is great, if it was raining, I don’t know how this would work,” Liang said, gesturing at the uncovered venue.

Xavier Fayolle of Gentilly, France, similarly said he was no expert in archery but was able to buy tickets for just 45 euros (the equivalent of $48.86) and walked away with an appreciation for the sport.

Fayolle said he was fascinated by the archers’ skill and ability to hit the center of the target despite some wind during the competition.

“It is a small target from 70 meters away. It was very stunning, I was astonished,” he said.