Archers take first shots in Olympic venue ahead of Ready Steady Tokyo test event

Yumenoshima Archery Field is hosting its first international competition this week. 

Some 131 athletes from 29 countries are participating in the Ready Steady Tokyo test event, which is being held in the same venue that will be used next summer for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

It is the first time most of these archers will shoot on the field. It’s also the first time the spaces will be used in the way they will be at Games time.

The phrase ‘test event’ applies to both those shooting the arrows and the organisers of Tokyo 2020. Don’t expect to see pictures of the finished field, clean branding and the crowds of ticket holders that will visit the archery tournament next summer.

In fact, this tournament is entirely closed to spectators. It’s the one and only chance for athletes, coaches and staff to see how things work before the Olympics themselves.

Schedule

• Friday 12 July: Qualification
• Saturday 13 July: Recurve mixed team eliminations and finals
• Sunday 14 July: Early round matchplay
• Monday 15 July: Early round matchplay
• Tuesday 16 July: Early round matchplay
• Wednesday 17 July: Recurve women’s eliminations and finals
• Thursday 18 July: Recurve men’s eliminations and finals

First impressions

Chang Hye Jin, Korea, Rio 2016 Olympic Champion: “Next year the Olympic Games are here in the same venue and now it feels like we’re starting the Olympic process. It reminds me of Rio.”

“I expected the weather conditions here in Tokyo to be very hot and with strong wind. But there’s no wind and the temperature is low, so that is good. Before the Olympic Games, this tournament gives me a chance to get experience in this field. I can learn the wind direction and get used to the environment.”

Takaharu Furukawa, Japan, London 2012 silver medallist: “I’m so excited and I am happy to welcome all these athletes from across the world. The Olympics is coming. It is only one year away and it’s exciting.”

Yuko Okura, Tokyo 2020 sports manager: “I hope the athletes enjoy themselves. I hope I get positive and negative feedback for next year. Today’s weather is good because I was expecting hot weather but it’s turned out to be cloudy.”

“I have to have people’s feedback to make the event better next year. Anything I can improve will be based on these peoples’ feedback.”

Competition format

Tokyo 2020 will be the first Olympic Games to feature five archery medal with the addition of the mixed team event. 

This test event includes individual and mixed team competitions but does not have any team events. (It allows the tournament to have the same single-match schedule without lasting more than a week.)

Recurve athletes shoot at 122cm targets with 10 scoring zones set 70 metres from the shooting line. Competition starts with a 72-arrow ranking round, used to seed athletes, and is followed by knock-out elimination matches decided using the set system.

During a match, athletes shoot sets of three arrows. The highest-scoring athlete in each set receives two set points; a draw awards one set point to each athlete. The first athlete to six set points wins the match.

If an individual match is tied after five sets, the winner is decided in a shoot-off. Each archer shoots once and the arrow that lands closest to the centre of the target wins the match. If both archers shoot a 10 with their first arrows, then a second arrow is shot.

Mixed teams consist of one male and one female archer. They shoot sets of four arrows, two per athlete. The first mixed team to five set points wins the match.

If a mixed team match is tied after four sets, the winner is decided in a shoot-off. Each archer shoots one arrow and the mixed team with the highest combined score for its two arrows wins the match. If the scores are tied then the mixed team with an arrow closest to the centre of the target wins the match.

The Ready Steady Tokyo test event takes place on 11-18 July 2019 in the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic venue in Tokyo, Japan.