Paralympic champion Matt Stutzman has announced his return to competitive archery with an unprecedented goal: qualifying for the LA28 Olympic Games and becoming the first Paralympic gold medalist to win an Olympic gold medal in archery. Stutzman, known globally as "The Armless Archer," retired from international para-archery after winning gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, but the inclusion of compound archery in the Olympic program for Los Angeles has reignited his competitive drive.
Compound archery will make its Olympic debut at LA28 as a mixed-team event, with each qualifying nation fielding one male and one female archer. Stutzman will compete for the men's position on the U.S. team through the USA Archery Olympic Trials selection process. If successful, he would compete in the Olympics four years after his Paralympic triumph, aiming to become the first athlete to hold both Paralympic and Olympic gold in archery.
"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."
Born without arms, Stutzman uses his feet to hold and fire his compound bow, employing a release mechanism near his shoulder. His innovative technique has made him a standout in international archery. He won silver at the London 2012 Paralympics, competed in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, and captured gold in Paris with a Paralympic-record score of 149 out of 150 in the final. He was also named World Archery's overall Archer of the Year, a first for a Para athlete.
The road to LA28 will be challenging, with only 12 compound mixed teams expected to qualify. Stutzman will face top archers from the U.S. and worldwide while adapting to the demands of mixed-team competition. "I understand how difficult this will be," he said. "Nothing is guaranteed—not qualification, not selection and certainly not a medal. That is exactly why the challenge means so much to me. Paris proved that the greatest achievements can come after the moments when other people think your career is over."
The LA28 archery competition will be held at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, with qualification on July 19, 2028, and medal rounds on July 21. Stutzman's campaign includes national and international competitions, intensive training, and seeking commercial partners to support his historic attempt.
"This journey is about more than one athlete or one medal," Stutzman said. "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."
