7/30/12 Olympics: Archery & the Weather

Thanks to the Hunger Games, archery is quickly becoming a very popular sport, even though it has been around for about 10,000 years. The object of archery is relatively simple, and similar to darts: have the arrows hit the bullseye of the target, or as close as you possibly can. However, Olympic Archery targets are a bit different from your typical darts board at a restaurant/bar. Not just because you have to throw them with a large bow, but also because you have to do it outside, which means Mother Nature often dictates how close you end up getting to that target.


Wind - this can make or break the event.  is an archer's worst enemy. British archer, Mike Peart, explains, "Even if I aim dead-centre, the arrow can drift, two, three, foot feet away and sometimes I can miss the target. Even though I have shot, the wind can take it totally off."


U.S. Mens Archery Team wins silver medal
Courtesy: AZ Central

Bombayla Devi Laishram, who is on the Indian Archery team, admitted wind affected their competition at the Olympics as well, "There was a little bit of wind - more than [Saturday], but I am confident for the individual round. I will try my best."

Rain - Often wind accompanies rain showers, and large rain drops can attach to the arrows and bows and weight the equipment down. In fact, the women's archery team quarterfinal between Denmark and South Korea was spoiled by heavy downpours. The athletes tend to use more of their time to try to wipe down the bows and arrows to calibrate them as best as they can.

Temperature - and also humidity heavily impact the equipment and used. As the humidity increases or decreases the arrows change stiffness and that affects everything from direction to distance. Older ones used to be made of wood, which would absorb more moisture in the air, but now most bows are made of carbon composites which aren't affected by humidity as much.


Miranda Leek, who is on the U.S. Archery team, experienced some weather related issues when she competed Friday.  “Considering the weather, the temperature of the day, the first match and all of that, I thought she shot well,” Scott Leek, Miranda's father and coach explains.


U.S. Archer Miranda Leek
Courtesy: Chicago Tribune