It's a sport with roots going back thousands of years. But it wasn't until the 1900 Paris games that archery made its debut.
Four years later...Women were allowed to compete. Then in 1972 after a 52 year hiatus it was once again an Olympic sport. 1988 saw the return of the team competition.
Archery is deceptively demanding...If you're good... You have nerves of steel...Unshakeable focus and a prefect aim. At the Olympic level, it's about separating the good from the great.
This year in London competitors will face off at the Lord's Cricket Ground. There's both men's and women's individual and team events.
Athletes must hit a four foot wide target from more than 76 yards away. Points are scored by hitting one of 10 concentric rings. The closer to the center, the higher the score. A bulls-eye counts for ten.
Going into the games South Korea is the country to beat. But this year the U.S. has a good chance to claim gold with this man, 22-year-old Brady Ellison. He's ranked number one in the world.
In the past season he's won six world cup medals (two individual, four team) and the world cup final, where he beat top-ranked, and legally blind, Im Dong-hyun of South Korea.
On the women's side keep your eye on top ranked Miranda Leek. The 19-year-old won the silver medal at the 2011 Pan American Games and helped her team bring home silver as well.
You can catch all the Archery action beginning on July 27th. The competition runs through August 3rd. The United States has the second most archery medals in Olympic history. Korea has the most.
You can catch all the Olympic action on NBC's Olympic website by clicking here.
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