Archery competition pioneered by FISU added to the Olympic Games programme

LAUSANNE – The words “today’s stars, tomorrow’s leaders” are more than tagline at FISU. This spirit was on full display at the Executive Board meetings for the International Olympic Committee as they approved archery mixed team competition for future editions of the Summer Olympics – a sport first tested and developed in FISU’s World University Championships in 2006.

Now, 14 years later, the archery mixed team competition will be part of the Summer Olympic event programme, starting at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

“Thanks to FISU for being a part of this important step forward in archery and in its Olympic position,” World Archery Excellence Director Juan Carlos Holgado said. “Having one more event medal option in a sport at the Olympic Games is quite important and has a strong impact worldwide. This is very good for our sport everywhere and at all levels, and this all started at FISU events.”

The mixed team competition was first-tested at the Spanish University Archery Championships in 2005. In 2006, the event was officially added to the World University Archery Championships, a position it holds today. World Archery followed suit in 2011, adding the mixed team discipline to that year’s World Archery Championships in Torino, Italy.

All told, archery has been featured at 11 editions of the World University Championships and 5 editions of the Summer Universiade.

The IOC Executive Board cited evolving the sport programme as a major boost to make the Olympics more youthful, urban and female. Notably, these are three key considerations FISU uses when deciding how to advance sport competition and participation on university campuses around the world.

“Mixed team competition echoes the balanced nature of the sport, reflecting the 50-50 split of men and women in the archery competition at the Olympics, and the parity in level between the world’s best men and women in competition” World Archery President Prof Dr Ugur Edener said.

“As the governing body for international university sports, the heart of FISU’s work is getting student athletes competing and participating in sports,” FISU President Oleg Matysin said. “Sport is a playground perfect for creativity and progress. We look forward to continue working with partners like World Archery to keep this spirit at the core of our sports events.”