Paralympics NZ

Archery NZ

Archery is a sport that tests accuracy, strength and concentration. It was used as a form of rehabilitation and recreation for physically disabled people after the Second World War at at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and has developed into a highly competitive and exciting sport. It was one of the original Paralympic sports introduced at the Rome Games of 1960.  

Archery requires competitors to shoot from a set distance at a target marked with ten scoring zones. There are three functional classes in para-archery:

• "W1" for those with a disability in arms and legs
• "W2" for those with a disability in the legs
• "Standing"

Athletes can compete in individual and team events.

Archery is one of the few sports where physically disabled athletes have competed in both the Olympic and Paralympics Games, with disabled archers winning a number of medals in non-disabled competitions, including New Zealander's Neroli Fairhall's silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1982.