Paralympic champion Matt Stutzman has announced his return to competitive archery with a historic goal: qualifying for the LA28 Olympic Games. If successful, he would become the first Paralympic gold medalist to win an Olympic gold medal in archery. The announcement comes after Stutzman retired from international para-archery following his victory at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where he set a Paralympic record with a score of 149 out of 150 in the final. Now, the athlete known 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, with one male and one female archer from each qualifying nation. Stutzman will seek to earn the men's position on the U.S. team through USA Archery's U.S. Olympic Trials selection process.
This 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, with the chance to become the first Paralympic champion to capture an Olympic archery title. "This is bigger than coming out of retirement," he 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 and remarkable accuracy have made him one of the most recognizable athletes in international archery. He made his Paralympic debut at London 2012, winning silver, and later competed in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 before winning gold in Paris. Following that victory, he became the first Para athlete to be named World Archery's overall Archer of the Year.
The return will require Stutzman to compete against leading compound archers in the U.S. and worldwide while adapting to the unique demands of mixed-team competition. Only 12 compound mixed teams are expected to compete at LA28, making 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 archery competition will take place at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, with qualification scheduled for July 19, 2028, and medal rounds on July 21. Stutzman's road to LA28 includes national and international competition, intensive training, and the pursuit of 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. I won my Paralympic Gold Medal. Now I am coming back to take aim at Olympic history."
