The American made history in the Paris Paralympics as he became the first-ever armless para-archer to win a gold medal. He survived two shoot-offs to reach the final of the men’s individual compound where he beat China’s top seed Ai Xinliang to claim gold with an exceptional score of 149 – one point short of perfection – thus setting a new Paralympic record in what he subsequently admitted was his final appearance at the Games.
The first armless archer, Stutzman, 41, has been a pioneer for many aspiring athletes, and there are now six armless archers in the top 100 of the para-archery world rankings, three of whom competed in the 2024 Paralympic Games.
