Paralympic champion Matt Stutzman has announced his return to competitive archery with a historic goal: qualifying for the LA28 Olympic Games and becoming the first Paralympic Gold Medalist to win an Olympic Gold Medal in archery. The announcement, made today, sets the stage for an unprecedented crossover attempt in the history of the Games.
Stutzman, known globally as "The Armless Archer," retired from international para-archery after winning gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, where he set a Paralympic record of 149 out of 150 in the final. However, the inclusion of compound archery in the Olympic program for Los Angeles has reignited his competitive spirit. "I thought winning gold in Paris was the perfect ending to my career," Stutzman said. "But when compound archery was added to the Olympic program for Los Angeles, I realized my story might not be finished. I have the opportunity to attempt something that has never been done before—and I have to take that shot."
Compound archery will make its Olympic debut at LA28 as a mixed-team event, with each qualifying nation fielding one male and one female archer. Stutzman will compete for the men's position on the U.S. team through USA Archery's Olympic Trials selection process. The campaign is one of the most ambitious in Olympic history, as Stutzman would compete in the Olympics four years after his Paralympic triumph, with a chance to become the first Paralympic champion to win an Olympic archery title.
Stutzman, born without arms, holds and fires his compound bow using his feet and a release mechanism near his shoulder. His innovative technique and remarkable accuracy have made him a standout in international archery. He made his Paralympic debut at London 2012, winning silver, and later competed in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 before his gold in Paris. He was also the first Para athlete to be named World Archery's overall Archer of the Year.
The road to LA28 will be challenging, as Stutzman must compete against the world's top compound archers and adapt to the mixed-team format. Only 12 compound mixed teams are expected at LA28, making qualification exceptionally selective. "I understand how difficult this will be," Stutzman said. "Nothing is guaranteed—not qualification, not selection and certainly not a medal. That is exactly why the challenge means so much to me. Paris proved that the greatest achievements can come after the moments when other people think your career is over."
The LA28 archery competition will take place at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, with compound mixed-team qualification on July 19, 2028, and medal rounds on July 21. Stutzman's journey will involve national and international competition, intensive training, and seeking commercial partners to support his unprecedented campaign. "This journey is about more than one athlete or one medal," he said. "It is about creating a moment that can change how the world looks at ability. I won my Paralympic Gold Medal. Now I am coming back to take aim at Olympic history."
