Archery

Archery is the use of a bow to shoot arrows. It has ancient origins in hunting and warfare and is practiced worldwide today as a sport, recreation, and sometimes ceremonial activity. Modern archery emphasizes precision, consistency, and control, with events organized for individuals and teams across various formats.

The bow types include the longbow, which is simple and historically associated with medieval England; the recurve bow, commonly used in Olympic archery; and the compound bow, which uses pulleys to increase let-off and aiming ease. Arrows are typically made of carbon, aluminum, or wood, with fletching to stabilize flight. Modern archery may include sights, stabilizers, finger tabs or gloves, armguards, and a bowstring release aid.

Techniques rely on stance, posture, drawing the bowstring smoothly, anchoring at a reference point near the face, and releasing with minimal torque while maintaining follow-through. Distance ranges vary; common targets are 18 meters, 30 meters in indoor settings, or 70 meters outdoors for Olympic recurve. Scoring uses concentric rings with higher scores at the center.

World Archery Federation administers international competition, while national bodies oversee domestic rules. Archery has been included in the Olympic program for men and women in recent decades, with separate events for recurve archery and, in some formats, compound events in non-Olympic settings. Other formats include field archery, which uses uneven terrain, and 3D archery using animal-shaped targets.

Safety and culture are important in archery. The activity emphasizes safety, with strict range rules and proper equipment fit. It has cultural significance in many regions, with traditional forms such as English longbow, Asian composite bows, and mounted archery playing a role in history and contemporary demonstrations.