Paralympic champion Matt Stutzman today announced his return to competitive archery with a historic new goal: qualifying for the LA28 Olympic Games and becoming the first Paralympic Gold Medalist to win an Olympic Gold Medal in archery. The announcement comes after Stutzman retired from international para-archery competition following his gold medal performance at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where he set a Paralympic record of 149 out of 150 in the final.
Stutzman, known as "The Armless Archer," born without arms, uses his feet to hold and fire his compound bow, with a release mechanism near his shoulder. His innovative technique and remarkable accuracy have made him a standout in the sport. Now, with compound archery added to the Olympic program for Los Angeles, Stutzman sees an unprecedented opportunity. "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."
The LA28 Olympics will feature compound archery for the first time, with a mixed-team event comprising one male and one female archer from each qualifying nation. Stutzman will compete for the men's spot on the U.S. team through USA Archery's U.S. Olympic Trials selection process. Only 12 compound mixed teams are expected to compete, making qualification exceptionally selective.
Stutzman's campaign is one of the most ambitious crossover attempts in Olympic and Paralympic history. If successful, he would compete in the Olympics four years after winning Paralympic Gold and could become the first Paralympic champion to capture an Olympic archery title. "This is bigger than coming out of retirement," Stutzman said. "It is about challenging what people believe is possible. I want young athletes with disabilities to see that they do not have to accept someone else's definition of their limits. I also want to prove that when I step onto the range, I am not just a great Para archer—I am one of the best archers in the world."
Stutzman's Paralympic career began at London 2012, where he won silver in the men's individual compound event. He represented the U.S. at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 before winning gold in Paris. Following that victory, he became the first Para athlete to be named World Archery's overall Archer of the Year. His return will require him to compete against top compound archers in the U.S. and worldwide while adapting to the unique demands of mixed-team competition.
The LA28 archery competition will take place at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, with compound mixed-team qualification scheduled for July 19, 2028, and medal rounds on July 21. Stutzman's road to LA28 includes intensive training, national and international competition, and the pursuit of commercial partners to support his campaign. "This journey is about more than one athlete or one medal," Stutzman added. "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."
