U.S. archery legend Brady Ellison described the 2024 Paris Olympics as a win for the sport, and it's easy to see why.
The finale in the men's individual event went down to an epic one-arrow shoot-off for gold. The United States won bronze in the mixed team event. South Korea continued to show its dominance in Olympic archery, but performances from German, French and Turkish archers also showed their strengths in the sport.
Here's a look back at all the action, from highlights to medal results and everything in between.
| Country | š„-š„-š„ | Total |
|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 5 - 1 - 1 | 7 |
| USA | 0 - 1 - 1 | 2 |
| France | 0 - 1 - 1 | 2 |
| Germany | 0 - 1 - 0 | 1 |
| China | 0 - 1 - 0 | 1 |
| Mexico | 0 - 0 - 1 | 1 |
| Turkiye | 0 - 0 - 1 | 1 |
Men's individual
Two of the best archers in the world reached the final of the men's individual event. The gold medal was within reach for Ellison, but in the end, it was South Korea's Kim Woojin who took home the honor.
In a thriller of a finale, Ellison and Kim remained tied 5-5 after five sets to send the final to a shoot-off. Kim, up first, fired a 10 just on the edge of the ring. Ellison, up next, loosed his arrow 5 millimeters farther for a 9 and narrowly missed out on the gold medal. Still, it was an incredible achievement for Ellison and an incredible spectacle for the most talented archers in the world.
"If Messi and Ronaldo are the best in soccer, then maybe we are the duo in archery," Kim said.
Ellison was able to add another Olympic medal to his trophy cabinet, which will now showcase three silver and two bronze medals dating back to the 2012 Games in London.
The 35-year-old American shot some of his best arrows at the Paris Games after he won three sets in each round before the final. At the same time, Kim knocked out defending champion Mete Gazoz, 6-4, in the quarterfinals en route to his gold medal.
Ellison isnāt looking to hang up his bow and quiver just yet, but does want fans to enjoy the rivalry between him and Kim while it lasts.
"I think weāre going to do a rematch in LA,ā he said, referencing the location of the 2028 Olympics. āWhen we both end up putting our bows up, it will be probably one of the greatest duos that's been in archery."
South Korea also took bronze as Lee Wooseok defeated Germany's Florian Unruh in the bronze medal match.
Medalists
Gold: Kim Woojin
Silver: Brady Ellison
Bronze: Lee Wooseok
Men's team
South Korea once again stole the show, this time in the men's team event.
Archers Kim Woojin, Lee Wooseok and Kim Je Deok cruised their way to win the gold medal match, 5-1, for South Korea over France. The host nation impressed in its run to the final as it knocked out Turkiye in a shoot-off in the semifinals and proved that its young archers Baptiste Addis, Thomas Chirault and Jean-Charles Valladont can compete against some of the world's best.
Turkiye, led by Gazoz, was able to win a medal in Paris, taking bronze over China, 6-2.
Ellison was the only male archer to qualify for the Games for the U.S., meaning the Americans were unable to field a team for the men's team event. But with the next edition of the Olympics being played in Los Angeles, the U.S. will have an automatic birth in all Olympic archery events.
Medalists
Gold: South Korea
Silver: France
Bronze: Turkiye
Women's individual
South Korea almost earned all three spots on the podium in the women's individual event, but France's Lisa Barbelina was able to make room for the host nation.
Defending champion An San did not qualify for the Paris Games, but other South Korean archers made sure the gold medal stayed in the hands of their country.
It was an all-South Korean final in the gold medal match as Lim Sihyeon faced Nam Suhyeon. Lim got the better of her countrywoman in a 7-3 win, but both were seen celebrating each other's accomplishments.
In the bronze medal match, 24-year-old Barbelina outlasted Jeon Hun-Young in the final set to win 6-4.
The U.S. fielded three archers in the women's individual event: Casey Kaufhold, Catalina Gnoriega and Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez.
Kaufhold, who was the No. 1 ranked archer in the world in 2023, and Gnoriega were knocked out in the Round of 16, while Mucino-Fernandez was eliminated in the Round of 32. It was a disappointing outing for the Americans as Kaufhold was a medal favorite. No American woman has won a gold medal in archery since the 1976 Montreal Games.
Medalists
Gold: Lim Sihyeon
Silver: Nam Suhyeon
Bronze: Barbelin Lisa
Women's team
The U.S. was two matches away from competing for a medal in the women's team event, but China coolly eliminated the Americans, 5-1, in the quarterfinals.
The United States had enough firepower to make a run deep in the tournament, but lost to the eventual silver medalists from China. Americans' neighbors to the south were able to win bronze as Mexico defeated the Netherlands, 6-2, in the bronze medal match.
Once again, South Korea claimed another event in the sport. In the gold medal final, South Korea's trio of Jeon Hun-Young, Lim Sihyeon and Nam Suhyeon outlasted China to a 5-4 win.
Medalists
Gold: South Korea
Silver: China
Bronze: Mexico
Mixed team
Kaufhold was seen punching the air and yelling with joy the moment she and Ellison defeated India, 6-2, and won the bronze medal for the U.S.
It was a coming-of-age moment for Kaufhold, who admitted that missing out on a medal in the women's individual and team events took a toll on her. She was able to regroup and help Ellison win the first medal in the event for the U.S. since it was introduced at the Tokyo Games. It was also the first archery medal for the U.S. since the 2016 Rio Olympics.
"That reaction to me explains everything how I felt about winning a medal," Kaufhold said. "Brady and I have worked so hard, not just individually but also as a pairing team. Weāre both believers that everything happens for a reason. We qualified in a good spot that put us in a good bracket and we did our jobs. That reaction of us winning shows all the hard work weāve put into it."
Both Kaufhold and Ellison said they could use this moment to collect more Olympic medals in future Games.
South Korea's Lim Sihyeon and Kim Woojin took home the gold as the country completed a sweep in all Olympic archery events in Paris. South Korea defeated the surprising Germany duo of Michelle Kroppen and Florian Unruh with ease in a 6-0 gold medal final win.
Medalists
Gold: South Korea
Silver: Germany
Bronze: USA