In Olympic archery, competitors use recurve bows that draw an average of around 48.5 pounds for the men and 33 pounds for the women. The bow may have a mechanical sight, but no optical enhancements. It also may feature stabilizers on the bow.

Olympic recurve bows are comprised of three main pieces: the riser and two limbs. The riser is the handle of the bow, and the foundation that supports all other elements. The side facing the target is the back. The side near the string is the belly. The limb is the part of the bow from the handle to the tip. A typical limb can tolerate a draw weight of 48 to 51 pounds. 

Olympic archers use an adjustable sight that is a rod-like object to which a "sight pin" is set up to help them view the target better. The adjustable sight is attached to the riser. 

With the competition held outdoors, Olympic archers use arrows made of ultra-lightweight carbon. The arrows also have fletching, which are the feathers — real or fake — attached to the arrow to help stabilize it during flight. 

Olympic archers use recurve bows that draw an average of around 48.5 pounds for the men and 33 pounds for the women. A typical limb on the bow can tolerate a draw weight of 48 to 51 pounds. 

Olympic archers use clickers to help release an arrow at the same spot during the draw process. 

Main stabilizer: From 29 to 36 inches long, it balances and stabilizes the bow when raised. 

Top/Bottom stabilizers: From 12 to 15 inches long, these also balance and stabilize the bow when raised. 

Grip: Wrapped in tennis grip material to prevent slipping. 

Counter-balance weight: Absorbs vibration and shock. Also helps balance the bow. 

Vibration dampener: Helps reduce the vibration of the bow when the arrow is released. 

Torque compensator: Absorbs vibration of the bow. 

Arrow Pile: The tip of the arrow. Shaped like a bullet, it penetrates the target. 

Nock: The attachment on the rear end of an arrow that holds it in place on the bowstring. Also, to "nock" is to place the arrow on the string. 

Shaft: The long, narrow middle of the arrow, connecting the pile to the nock. Any substance, such as wood, aluminum or carbon, is allowed, but the shaft may not exceed 9.3 mm (about 1/3 of an inch) in diameter. It is marked with the archer's name or initials for identification.

The Target

Archers stand 70 meters (plus or minus 30 cm) away from a target that is on an incline of 75-80 degrees — regardless of what the target is set at, that is the incline to be used for all targets.

The target used has a diameter of 122 cm. The target is divided into 10 equal rings, each measuring 12.2 cm. The colors of white (1, 2), black (3, 4), light blue (5, 6), red (7, 8) and yellow (9, 10) are used to differentiate the 10 scoring rings.

In Olympic team events, there is a line marked one meter behind the shooting line. Behind the line is where teammates and coaches stand and where equipment is kept during the match.