New Delhi: There are no limitations which cannot be overcome with determination. It stands true in the case of USA’s Matt Stutzman, an armless archer, who continues to defy odds and prove nothing is impossible if you try hard enough. Stutzman ended a long-standing wait for his maiden gold medal at the Paris Paralympics 2024 on Sunday with a stunning performance in the final.
Stutzman hit a perfect 10 in 14 out of his 15 shots and a 9 to beat China’s Ai Xinlang in an epic gold medal match in the men’s individual compound event. Born without arms, Stutzman uses his leg and shoulders while competing and holds the record for the longest accurate shot in archery history. He made his Paralympics debut in 2012 but had to wait another 12 years to win his first gold medal in Paris on Sunday.
Up against Xinlang in the final, Stutzman ensured he left no room for even the slightest of errors as he shot perfect 10 in 14 out of his 15 shots. It was only possible to take a total of 150 points in the final and the armless archer took 149 of those to beat his Chinese opponent 149-147 in a dramatic fashion. Stutzman also set a Paralympic record in the elimination round by scoring 149 points.
Not an easy journey for Matt Stutzman
The road to the final was far from an easy one for Stutzman, who finished a disappointing 19th in the ranking round before the elimination bracket got underway. Stutzman defeated Mexico’s Victor Viveros Sardina in the Round of 32 before beating Finland’s Jere Forsberg in an epic shoot-out in the Round of 16 to reach the quarter-finals.
In the quarter-finals, he was up against Great Britain’s Nathan MacQueen and managed to come out on top to enter the semi-finals. Stutzman beat He Zihao of China in the semi-final to set up an exciting summit clash against Xinlang. The Chinese para-archer was on top of his game in the gold medal match but Stutzman unlocked another level as he shot 14 perfect 10s and a 9 to deservingly take the gold medal.
It was his second medal at the Paralympics after he won a silver medal on his debut at the Games in 2012 in London. Stutzman was elated after bagging his maiden gold medal at 41 and said he couldn’t have asked for a better ending in his last Paralympic Games for USA.
USA’s Matt Stutzman, the armless archer brought an end to a long-standing wait by clinching his maiden gold medal at the Paris Paralympics 2024 on Sunday. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
