Paralympic Champion Matt Stutzman Announces Historic Bid for LA28 Olympic Games

FAIRFIELD, IA – Paralympic champion Matt Stutzman 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. Stutzman, known worldwide as “The Armless Archer,” retired from international para-archery after capturing gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympics with a record-breaking score of 149 out of 150 in the final.

Stutzman’s retirement was short-lived. The addition of compound archery to the Olympic program for Los Angeles presented an unprecedented opportunity. “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 as a mixed-team event, with one male and one female archer from each qualifying nation. Stutzman will compete for the men’s spot on the U.S. team through USA Archery’s U.S. Olympic Trials selection process. The campaign is one of the most ambitious crossover attempts in Olympic and Paralympic history.

“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 near his shoulder. His innovative technique and remarkable accuracy have made him a standout in international archery. He made his Paralympic debut at London 2012, winning silver, and later competed in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 before his Paris gold. He also became the first Para athlete to be named World Archery’s overall Archer of the Year.

Stutzman’s return will require him to compete against leading compound archers in the U.S. and globally while adapting to the demands of mixed-team competition. Only 12 compound mixed teams are expected at LA28, making qualification extremely 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 be held at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, with qualification on July 19, 2028, and medal rounds on July 21. Stutzman’s road to LA28 includes national and international competition, intensive training, and seeking commercial partners to support his unprecedented campaign. “This journey is about more than one athlete or one medal,” he said. “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.”