Doubles to replace team events in para archery competition

The traditional three-athlete team competition has been removed from the rules for para archery and replaced with a two-athlete doubles event.

Medals will now be awarded to individuals, mixed teams and doubles at the World Archery Para Championships.

The switch does not affect the programme of the Paralympic Games, which is still expected to include individual and mixed team events at the upcoming edition in Paris in 2024.

Justification for the change, which was proposed by the para committee and approved by the executive board, is centred around boosting participation in non-individual categories, with a particular focus on reaching gender parity.

At the recent Paralympics, 80 of the 140 athletes were men and 60 were women.

The goal is to reach a 50:50 split at Los Angeles 2028.

With the doubles event more accessible for female – and male – para athletes across the categories, it’s hoped that national para archery governing bodies will be encouraged to invest in up-and-coming athletes over upcoming Paralympic cycles.

Other bylaw changes accepted by the executive board at its meetings surrounding World Archery Congress included:

• Removal of the requirement for an international judge to attend a conference to be reaccredited in the period 2019-2022.
• Clarification of the permitted dampener rules for barebows.
• Change of the standard shooting times to 20 seconds per arrow (alternate) or 30 seconds per arrow (qualification and non-alternate matchplay).

All bylaw changes, except the change of the standard shooting times, come into effect on 15 January 2022. (This means that the new doubles event will be used at the upcoming World Archery Para Championships scheduled for February 2022 in Dubai, UAE.

The board also gave World Archery Africa the deadline of 31 December 2021 to hold its congress.

If the deadline is not met, the continental association will be suspended from 1 January 2022 until the meeting is held and the minutes provided to the World Archery office.

World Archery’s executive board is expected to meet next on 5 December 2021.