Infographic: What does an Olympic archery look like?

ILLUSTRATIONS: Evandro Bertol

At the Olympics, the only type of bow allowed is the recurve, which has three parts: handle, blades and string. It takes its name from the point of the blades, which are curved in the opposite direction to the normal bending of the bow. This stores more energy and makes the shot more effective, especially with the use of accessories such as the scope and the stabilizer. The technology involved has a centuries-old heritage: long before being used in sport, the bow and arrow were important hunting tools, dating back to prehistoric times, and also combat weapons used in many wars, retired only in modern times. As a sport, archery emerged in the mid-16th century with tournaments in England. It was included in the 1900 Paris Olympics. At the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, there will be individual and team events for men and women.

1) PROTECTIONS

There’s one on the chest and one on the arm. They are designed so that the string does not hurt the archer when shooting.

2) FINGER

It’s a curved piece that the archer puts on his fingers to hold and pull the string – to shoot the arrow, he just loosens his fingers.

3) ROPE

Made of high-tech synthetic fibers, it is even stronger than steel. This is important so that the archer’s draw generates the necessary tension in the blades. The length varies with the size of the bow: if the string is too short, the draw will be small; if it is longer than necessary, the tension will not be enough to shoot the arrow

4) BLADES

These are the parts that join the handle to the rope. They store energy and propel the arrow – as they have a curved tip, these blades generate more pressure than a common bow. Can be manufactured with a combination of materials such as wood, fiberglass and carbon fiber

5) AIM

It is L-shaped and sits above the arrow. It serves as a reference, as the archer does not always align the center of the crosshairs with the target (due to the wind, for example)

6) STABILIZER

It is composed of carbon rods of different sizes and weights, which help the archer balance and bend the bow forward after shooting.

7) HANDLE

Made of synthetic material, with carbon fiber and foam, it is where the archer holds the equipment and positions the arrow. It is the central and most sophisticated part of the arch. There are many grip molds, which vary in size and shape, according to the height of the archer.

O clicker it is a small piece of metal that serves to warn the archer that the arrow has reached full extension and it is time to shoot

O rest (8)it is attached to the handle and serves to accommodate the arrow during the archer’s draw

O button (9)It’s a spring-loaded type of pin. Prevents the arrow from scraping the bow, which reduces friction and improves accuracy

ARROW

1) O nock used to attach the arrow to the string

two) To the feathers are made of plastic and stabilize the flight, which can exceed 240 km/h

3) O body it is made of carbon, with aluminum inside, and the thickness is between 5.5 and 9.2 mm

4) A tip it is a single piece, made of steel or tungsten

PUNCTUATION

There are ten concentric circles, numbered from 1 to 10: the closer to the center, the higher the score. If the arrow hits the line between circles, the highest point counts.

SOURCES Websites Brazilian Confederation of Archery, International Federation of Archery, olympic.org, brasil2016.gov.br and rio2016.com

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