Nine countries podium at first Olympics to award five golds

The archery competitions at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics finished on 31 July 2021.

For the first time in the sport’s modern history at the Games, five gold medals were contested with the addition of the mixed team competition, which sees one man and one woman compete together.

Korea’s An San and Turkey’s Mete Gazoz won the individual titles.

Korea also swept the three team gold medals, taking the first-ever mixed team title.

Nine countries collected medals in Tokyo, which is the most in archery’s modern Olympic history (since the sport was reintroduced to the programme in 1972).

Mete’s win brought Turkey’s first archery medal.

Korea’s success

Korea’s collection of four gold medals brings the total won by archery’s leading nation to 27 since the team’s debut at Los Angeles 1984.

The haul in Tokyo also matches that won by Korea in Rio de Janeiro. However, unlike five years ago, it did not result in a sweep due to the addition of the fifth event for mixed teams.

Korea won its ninth consecutive women’s team title in Tokyo and remains unbeaten at the Olympics since the introduction of the event in 1988.

An San became the first archer in archery’s modern history to collect three gold medals at one Olympics.

However, it is the first time since 2004 that no Korean man has won an individual medal.

Facts and figures

Archers of eight different nationalities have now held the men’s individual title, with Turkey being the latest addition, courtesy of Mete Gazoz. Over the sport’s 49-year modern history at the Olympics, this is the most diverse collection of winners.

The youngest archer in Tokyo, Korea’s Kim Je Deok at 17 years of age, won two gold medals in the men’s team and mixed team events.

Japan won two bronze medals, in the men’s team and individual events, making it the eighth host country to climb the podium at the Games in archery’s modern history. It is also the first team medal for the Japanese men.

During the third round of eliminations, Kim Woojin shot the first-ever perfect match (three sets of 30 points) at the Olympics since the introduction of the set system in 2012.

Twenty-four of the 168 matches shot in Tokyo went to a shoot-off (about 14%), including the women’s final.

World Archery secretary general Tom Dielen said:

“There are so many things to celebrate from these Olympics, like the debut of the mixed team competition, our technological innovations in measuring athlete heart rates and video arrow spotting, and the diverse podiums in all five of archery’s medal events.”

“But more than anything, we’re celebrating the athletes. After a year of uncertainty, struggle and stress, our 128 Olympians took to the stage in Tokyo, just as they deserved. And when the sport began, they performed, they inspired and they brought us together once again. It was certainly worth the wait.”

“Our congratulations go to the organisers in Tokyo, particularly archery’s sport team, led by Yuko Okura and with women in many key positions, which delivered a quality event despite the challenges posed by the heat, a typhoon and, of course, the pandemic. Thank you!”