Paralympic champion Matt Stutzman, known as "The Armless Archer," 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. The announcement was made on August 4, 2026, from Fairfield, Iowa.
Stutzman retired from international para-archery after capturing his first Paralympic gold medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where he set a Paralympic record of 149 out of 150 in the final. However, the addition of compound archery to the Olympic program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games has reignited his competitive drive.
"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."
The LA28 Olympics will feature compound archery for the first time, with a mixed-team event comprising one male and one female archer from each qualifying nation. Stutzman will aim to secure the men's spot on the U.S. team through the USA Archery U.S. Olympic Trials selection process.
This campaign represents one of the most ambitious crossover attempts in Olympic and Paralympic history. If successful, Stutzman would compete in the Olympics just four years after winning Paralympic gold, with the chance to become the first Paralympic champion to win an Olympic archery title.
"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 positioned near his shoulder. His innovative technique and remarkable accuracy have made him one of the most recognizable athletes in international archery. He made his Paralympic debut at London 2012, winning silver, and later competed in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 before his gold medal in Paris. He was also the first Para athlete to be named World Archery's overall Archer of the Year.
The road to LA28 will be challenging, with only 12 compound mixed teams expected to compete, making qualification exceptionally selective. Stutzman will need to compete against the top compound archers in the U.S. and internationally while adapting to the demands of mixed-team competition.
"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 rounds scheduled for July 19, 2028, and medal rounds on July 21. Stutzman's campaign will involve national and international competitions, intensive training, and seeking commercial partners to support his unprecedented Olympic bid.
"This journey is about more than one athlete or one medal," Stutzman added. "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."
