Archery
in the Olympics
Modern competitive target archery is often governed by the International
Archery Federation, abbreviated FITA (Fédération Internationale de Tir
à l'Arc). Olympic rules are derived from FITA rules. Target archery
competitions may be held indoors or outdoors. Indoor distances are 18
m and 25 m. Outdoor distances range from 30 m to 90 m. Competition is
divided into ends of 3 or 6 arrows. After each end, the competitors
walk to the target to score and retrieve their arrows. Archers have
a set time limit in which to shoot their arrows.
Archery became an official event in the modern Olympic Games in 1900
and was also featured in 1904, 1908 and 1920. International rules had
not yet been developed, though, and each host country used its own rules
and format. Because of the resulting confusion, the sport was eliminated
from the Olympic program until 1972.
The Federation Internationale de Tir a l'Arc ( FITA ), was founded in
1931 as the international governing body for the sport of archery. The
organization implemented standardized, international rules for competition,
which allowed the first World Championship to be held that same year.
In 1972, after enough countries had adopted FITA's rules, archery was
re-admitted to the Olympic Games. Since that time, technology has greatly
advanced the equipment, and some competitive formats have become obsolete,
but the sport of archery has essentially remained the same.