Eye-catching videos of the archery competitions at the Olympics have stunned viewers with the sheer distance the arrows travel.
Let’s be honest; there are times when watching the Olympics, you’ve probably thought, ‘I could do that’.
Maybe not the gymnastics or the triathlons, but perhaps there’s a small part of you that believes you could compete with the athletes in a sprint or in aiming an arrow at a target.
However, while such a thought might make for some amusing television, rest assured the athletes would outperform you because it’s far more challenging than it appears.
A particular video that illustrates this was filmed during the archery events at Paris 2024, where the archers took their positions, readied their bows, and aimed at their targets.
Watching the event on television, it’s easy to think the targets are just a few meters away, thanks to the zoom lenses that let us see precisely where each arrow lands.
However, the perspective changes dramatically when you’re part of the audience, seeing the full 70 meters – yes, 70 – between the archer and the target.
To put that into perspective, it’s more than half the length of a football field.
In comparison, the targets measure just 122cm in diameter, requiring incredible skill to hit them, let alone score a bullseye.
Footage captured from the audience has gone viral after being shared online, where one user commented: “Anyone else’s mind blown when you realise how far away the Olympics archery target is?!”
“On TV they never show that. Wow.,” another noted in response, while a third added: “They should really make this more clear in the broadcast.”
Another viewer expressed their fascination, revealing how captivated they’ve become with the sport: “This is why I love the Olympics….I get more excited to watch these random a** sports than anything I normally watch, how the hell are you supposed to hit this target? I don’t think I’d be able to get the arrow halfway there.”
The Olympics feature a total of five archery events, including individual competitions for men and women, team competitions for men and women, and a mixed team event.
The individual events start with a ranking round, where archers shoot 72 arrows to determine their placement in the single-elimination bracket.
The competition continues in a knockout format until the final round.