Australia’s Jonathon Milne breaks four world para records in ten days
Australia’s Jonathon Milne broke four para world records in ten days in October, raising the marks for the 1440 round, the 36-arrow 70-metre round, the 36-arrow 50-metre round, and the 36-arrow 30-metre round. All records have now been ratified.
On 11 October 2026, he shot 1402 for the 1440 round at the 78th ANSW State Target Championships in Sydney, becoming the first para archer to go over 1400.
The 1440 score broke Milne’s own record, set in 2019. “I knew I could be the first one to do it, I just needed the good conditions. I probably should have broken it a long time ago, but no one really shoots FITAs anymore!” he said.
The New South Wales state championships and the Nationals offer the only annual opportunities in Australia. “So only really two chances a year, and most of the time it's pretty average weather. Or you might get good weather at 90, and then it turns it on around 50 metres, and then it’s a write-off after that,” said Milne.
His 70-metre score of 355 was also a world record, breaking a mark set back in 2005 by Alberto Simonelli.
On 24 October, in Hobart, Tasmania, Milne then broke the records for the 50-metre and 30-metre rounds at the Australian national championships, shooting 354 and 360 respectively.
Both broke marks set almost two decades ago, in 2007. (Milne also holds the record for the 90-metre round with 344, set in 2023.)
When asked what brought on the surge in form, Milne pointed to minor adjustments: “I've made a few little form changes and tweaked a few little things on the bow. I shoot at Sydney Olympic Park, which was the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games venue. It’s got the nickname ‘The Wind Farm’ because it’s always windy,” said Milne.
As for breaking four world marks, Milne remains driven: “It makes me want to improve on them, because I know I left points out there,” he laughed.
Milne is actively targeting LA28. Should Australia secure compound quota spots for the Games, he is in contention to represent the country in the discipline’s Olympic debut, while continuing to compete against able-bodied archers on the international circuit.
“I’ve never been the person that wants to go around telling everyone I’m the best, I just want to keep improving on myself. I want to try and make sure that what I'm doing is perfect and working towards that,” he said.
“When I go meet people, I don't tell them that I’m a previous world champion, or I’ve won medals. I don't even mention most of the time that I do archery. I don’t do it just so I can go around telling people what I’ve achieved; I do it because I enjoy it.”
