Invictus Games nurtures competitive spirit in novice archers at ground-breaking event

The London 2014 Invictus Games were organised by HRH Prince Harry of the British monarchy and inspired by the Wounded Warrior Games in the USA.

They were designed as a support programme for sick, wounded or injured ex-Service people from countries around the world. This year’s Games were the first of their kind, and invited athletes from 13 nations to compete for medals in nine sports, including archery.

Athletes did not need experience in the sports they competed, with participation-level events encouraged. The event was also not run to Para rules or classifications, focusing instead on supporting the men and women selected by their nation’s ex-Services support organisation to represent their country at the Invictus competitions.

Archers shot a 60-arrow 18-metre qualifying round split over two days. The top 16s then advanced to head-to-heads, with the semifinals and finals shot one-by-one in an arena.

The United Kingdom’s Steven GILL, who only started archery last year, told hometown paper the Leicester Mercury: “I was just shooting my stuff and firing away. So when they said stop and told me I’d won, I couldn’t believe it!”

GILL went on to compete in the recurve finals, where he claimed bronze.

Athletes competed in one of three mixed-gender categories at the Games: compound, recurve or novice open. There were also team events for each of the disciplines.

The compound and recurve categories were shot to standard rules, while the novice event conformed to the World Archery standard bow. Archers could borrow equipment from organisers, but could not use clickers, pressure buttons or anything more than a simple sight.

“The Games introduced a new audience to archery,” said competition manager Jon NOTT, referring to the more than 100 former and current members of the forces that took up the sport purely for the event. “The level of competition was fierce – making it captivating despite the overall level not being that of a usual international tournament.”

None of the athletes had ever shot on a finals field before and the Invictus arena was impressive.

Backed by an 800-seat stand, the 18-metre range could not fit all the spectators that turned up to watch the afternoon session of the one-day finals programme last Friday.

Decked with impressive branding, a light show and huge video screens, it would have been an imposing sight to any veteran elite archer – let alone a veteran, but novice archer.

“I’m no shrinking violet, but it’s going to be nerve-wracking,” said recurve bronze medallist GILL before shooting his finals.

Reminiscent of archery’s involvement at the inspiration for the competitions the would later become the Paralympics, used as a rehabilitation tool, the USA’s Richard BURKETT was recovering from a crash when he took up archery two years ago, according to the Invictus Games website.

It was part of a recovery programme at his hospital. He was involved in a helicopter accident in Southern Morocco in 2012.

He shot for compound gold in London. After the last end was shot, Major BURKETT needed one of his arrows to be upgraded to take the title.

“I came here for adrenaline, I came here for pressure, I came here for excitement,” reported the Invictus Games website.

“Had that arrow stayed in the nine it would have been exciting because we would have gone into a one-arrow shoot-off and there’s a lot of pressure when everything’s on one arrow.”

Major BURKETT’s arrow was upgraded. It lifted him to a 138-137 win over Canada’s Luc MARTIN.

Competition manager Jon’s lasting memories will be of the passion and will to win of novice athletes: “the dedication and commitment of our Invictus archers was inspiring. Archers that have been shooting for one, two months or even less.”

For perspective: top qualification scorer and gold medallist in the novice competition was Italian Fabio TOMASULO. He shot 545/600 for 60 arrows at an 80-centimetre target face at 18 metres.

That was 59 points more than his nearest competitor, all using nothing more than simple arrows and a recurve bow with basic sight and rest.

See more news, results and information on the Invictus Games website.