Record Olympic participations in archery

Italy’s Ilario DI BUO set the Olympic participation record for archery at six Games spanning over twenty-four years. He is joined this year by two athletes, Natalia VALEEVA (ITA) and Alison WILLIAMSON (GBR).   Ilario DI BUO was the first archer to participate in six Olympic Games (1984 – 1988 – 1992 – 2000 – 2004 – 2008). He actually was in Atlanta as the alternate Italian archer in 1996 and was still in the race this spring to qualify for the London edition. Two female archers will tie his record in London – Natalia VALEEVA from Italy and Alison WILLIAMSON from Great Britain. Both archers have been not missing a single edition of the Olympic Games since Barcelona 1992. Both are already Olympic medallists – VALEEVA won the team bronze as a member of the Unified Team in 1992, and WILLIAMSON the individual bronze in Athens 2004.   Will that be their final Olympic Games? Will they aim for Rio 2016?   “Twenty years ago, I would never have thought that I would compete in six Olympic Games”, said the British archer. “I will concentrate on London and then will decide what to do. I will go on for as long as I want to.”   Natalia VALEEVA isn’t sure either. “At every Games since Barcelona 1992, I thought that they would be my last. So it doesn’t matter what I’m thinking(laughs), it’s the shooting that matters. After the Olympics are over, I will go to Moldova for a holiday with my family, that’s when I will decide if I continue. I still feel like I’m an archer. When I stop having this feeling, I will quit.”   Since archery was reintroduced in the Olympic programme in 1972, six archers have competed in five Olympic Games. Among them, the only one present in London is Khatuna LORIG, who helped the Unified Team win the bronze medal in Barcelona 1992 (alongside teammate VALEEVA), and went on to represent Georgia in 1996 and 2000, before competing for the United States in Beijing and London. Sixteen archers have been present at four Olympic Games, and fifty-five have competed in three.   Two archers are competing in their fourth Olympics this week: Michele FRANGILLI (ITA) and Evangelia PSARRA (GRE). Fourteen archers are present in London for their third Games. Four of them have won two Olympic medals: Marco GALIAZZO (ITA) was the individual gold medallist in Athens and team silver medallist in Beijing, while IM Dong-Hyun (KOR) was team gold medallist at both Games; Viktor RUBAN (UKR) was team bronze medallist in Athens 2004 and is the defending Olympic champion from Beijing 2008; finally, Simon TERRY (GBR) was a double bronze medallist in Barcelona 1992. Also competing in their third Games are the team silver medallist from 2004 WANG Chen-Pang (TPE) and the team bronze medallist from 2008 Berengere SCHUH (FRA).   Denise PARKER from the United States holds the record for being the youngest ever archer to compete (and medal) in the Olympic Games. She was 14 years and 9 months in Seoul 1988. This is 45 years younger than the oldest ever Olympic archer Marjory SAUNDERS from Canada, who competed in the Munich Games in 1972 at the age of 59.   Complete list    World Archery Communication