PARALYMPIC CHAMPION MATT STUTZMAN ANNOUNCES RETURN TO ARCHERY WITH HISTORIC LA28 OLYMPIC GOAL
"The Armless Archer" will attempt to qualify for Team USA and become the first Paralympic Gold Medalist to win Olympic archery gold
FAIRFIELD, IA, August 04, 2026 -- Paralympic champion Matt Stutzman today announced his return to competitive archery and the pursuit of a historic new goal: qualifying for the LA28 Olympic Games and becoming the first Paralympic Gold Medalist to win an Olympic Gold Medal in archery.
Stutzman retired from international para-archery competition after reaching the pinnacle at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Competing in the men's individual compound open event, he captured his first Paralympic Gold Medal with a Paralympic-record score of 149 out of 150 in the final.
Now, the athlete known around the world as "The Armless Archer" is returning to the shooting line.
"I thought winning gold in Paris was the perfect ending to my career," Stutzman said. "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."
Compound archery will make its Olympic debut at LA28 through a mixed-team event featuring one male and one female archer from each qualifying nation. Stutzman will seek to earn the men's position on the U.S. compound team through USA Archery's U.S. Olympic Trials athlete selection process.
The campaign represents one of the most ambitious crossover attempts in Olympic and Paralympic history. If successful, Stutzman would compete in the Olympic Games four years after winning Paralympic Gold and would have an opportunity to become the first Paralympic champion to capture an Olympic archery title.
"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 holds and fires his compound bow using his feet and a release mechanism positioned near his shoulder. His innovative technique, competitive intensity and remarkable accuracy have made him one of the most recognizable athletes in international archery.
Stutzman made his Paralympic debut at London 2012, winning the silver medal in the men's individual compound event. He subsequently represented the United States at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 before completing his Paralympic journey with gold in Paris. Following that victory, he became the first Para athlete to be named World Archery's overall Archer of the Year.
His return will require Stutzman to compete against the leading compound archers in the United States and around the world while adapting to the unique demands of mixed-team competition. Only 12 compound mixed teams are currently expected to compete at LA28, making Olympic qualification exceptionally selective.
"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. Paris proved that the greatest achievements can come after the moments when other people think your career is over."
The LA28 Olympic archery competition is scheduled to take place at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Compound mixed-team qualification is scheduled for July 19, 2028, with the medal rounds taking place July 21.
Stutzman's road to LA28 will include national and international competition, intensive training and the pursuit of commercial partners committed to supporting an unprecedented Olympic campaign.
"This journey is about more than one athlete or one medal," Stutzman added. "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."
About Matt Stutzman
Matt Stutzman is a four-time U.S. Paralympian, Paris 2024 Paralympic champion, London 2012 silver medalist and internationally recognized motivational speaker. Born without arms, Stutzman competes using his feet and has become one of the most accomplished and influential athletes in archery. Known globally as "The Armless Archer," he is also an advocate for adaptive innovation, inclusion and the belief that perceived limitations do not determine human potential.
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