Paralympic Champion Tabansky adds five points to 18-metre world record

Reigning Paralympic Champion Jason Tabansky broke the W1 world record for the 18-metre qualification round with 587 points out of a possible 600, subject to ratification, at Texas State Indoor Championships on 12 January.

The US archer’s score is five better than the previous best set by Italy’s Paolo Tonon in January last year.

“I honestly haven’t shot much since Paris, but the time off allowed me to reset and keep that momentum going,” said Tabansky.

This is a first indoor world record for the 41-year-old para athlete. He had previously set an outdoor world best for the 144-arrow round at national championships in August 2019.

“It’s a record I have wanted to shoot for over two years now and was finally able to put together two good rounds and break it,” he added, reflecting on his achievement.

A former Chinook helicopter mechanic, crewmember and flight instructor with the US Army for 15 and a half years, Tabansky took up para archery after an accident in September 2015 left him paralysed from the waist down. He had been a bowhunter before, and his transition into the sport has led to a remarkable international career since 2018.

He had earned 13 medals across seven major international competitions, including four golds at the Pan American Para Championships in 2022 and 2024, as well as a silver at the 2023 continental event, heading to his first Paralympics last summer. 

Jason turned his long-awaited Paralympic dream into gold at the Paris 2024 Games, after a late injury forcing Australia’s Christopher Davis to withdraw earned him a quota place.

This extraordinary milestone and his new performance at the Texas State Indoor Championships have marked significant chapters in Tabansky’s ongoing journey.