Paralympic champion Matt Stutzman, known worldwide as “The Armless Archer,” has announced his return to competitive archery with a historic goal: qualifying for the LA28 Olympic Games and becoming the first Paralympic gold medalist to win an Olympic gold medal in archery. The announcement, made on August 4, 2026, comes after Stutzman retired from international para-archery following his gold medal performance at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where he set a Paralympic record with a score of 149 out of 150 in the final.
Stutzman’s return is fueled by the inclusion of compound archery in the Olympic program for the first time at LA28. The event will feature a mixed-team competition, with one male and one female archer from each qualifying nation. Stutzman aims to secure the men’s position on the U.S. team through USA Archery’s Olympic Trials selection process. The addition of compound archery to the Olympics presents a unique opportunity for Stutzman to extend his legacy beyond Paralympic success.
“I thought winning gold in Paris was the perfect ending to my career,” Stutzman said in the announcement. “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.”
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, aiming to become the first Paralympic champion to capture an Olympic archery title. “This is bigger than coming out of retirement,” Stutzman emphasized. “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 holds and fires his compound bow using his feet and a release mechanism near his shoulder. His innovative technique has made him one of the most recognizable athletes in international archery. He made his Paralympic debut at London 2012, winning silver, and represented the U.S. at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 before his gold in Paris. He was also the first Para athlete to be named World Archery’s overall Archer of the Year.
The road to LA28 will be challenging. Stutzman must compete against top compound archers in the U.S. and globally, adapting to the demands of mixed-team competition. Only 12 compound mixed teams are expected to qualify for LA28, making the selection process exceptionally competitive. “I understand how difficult this will be,” Stutzman said. “Nothing is guaranteed—not qualification, not selection and certainly not a medal. That is exactly why the challenge means so much to me.”
The LA28 archery competition will be held at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, with qualification for the compound mixed team scheduled for July 19, 2028, and medal rounds on July 21. Stutzman’s journey will involve national and international competitions, intensive training, and seeking commercial partners to support his unprecedented campaign. “This journey is about more than one athlete or one medal,” he added. “It is about creating a moment that can change how the world looks at ability.” Stutzman’s pursuit of Olympic history is not just a personal milestone; it symbolizes the evolving landscape of sports, where Paralympic excellence is increasingly recognized as world-class achievement.
