Cool, calm, collective.
Those are three words to describe Brady Ellison’s path to the gold medal match in the archery men’s individual event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
He won three sets in each round before the final, showing his experience of bouncing back after a disappointing outing at the Tokyo Olympics.
“We made some changes and had a different game plan. When I stepped on the practice field, my scores started to group and I peaked at the right time,” he said. “As long as I could go into the finals field and keep doing what I was doing, I knew it was going to be good, no matter what.”
That mentality paved the way for a successful tournament in Paris for the 35-year-old.
Brady won bronze in the mixed team event alongside Casey Kaufhold and silver in the men’s individual.
SEE MORE: Team USA archery defeats India to win bronze
SEE MORE: U.S. archery’s Brady Ellison, Casey Kaufhold bring home historic bronze
The latter competition was one in which Brady was millimeters away from winning gold.
He faced South Korea’s Kim Woojin in the final and was tied 5-5 after five sets. A shoot-off was called upon to determine which of the two world’s best could be the champion.
In what might have been a nervy moment for Ellison, he said it was the complete opposite.
“Archery is a weird sport. You have to stay calm and let everything be bottled up,” the Glendale, Arizona native said. “There’s no way to express it. It’s not like adrenaline comes and you run faster. You’ve got to keep suppressing yourself and I think we kind of get used to it. I think by that point in time, you shot so many arrows, it’s towards the end of a long day, it’s like, ‘Alright, it’s just one more.’ You just kind of flatline and give it your best shot.”
Ellison and Kim flexed their elite skills as both hit 10s, but it was Kim’s arrow that was closer in the center to win gold.
SEE MORE: Kim Woojin outlasts Ellison, wins gold in men’s archery
SEE MORE: South Korean archer Kim wins gold in individual men’s event; American Ellison earns silver
The bigger picture
Ellison added two Olympic medals in his career after winning bronze at the 2016 Games, but it was a different feeling this time around.
Ellison believes he played some of the best archery has done in his career so far – leading to a final that was entertaining and showcased the two best athletes in the sport going toe-to-toe for gold.
After the gold medal match, Brady showed his respect toward Kim by grabbing his hand and lifting their arms in the air.
“The way we finished that match, we had four 10s in a row. That felt like a victory not just for Kim but a victory for archery,” Ellison said. “That’s a match I’ve been dreaming of. We shot like champions, and that’s what it’s all about.”
It was the first time the two had met in an Olympic final, and Kim continued to get the better of Ellison.
“I feel like every world championship that he’s won, he’s beat me,” he said. “When he wins gold, he beats me. So maybe I’m just a lucky charm.”
But that’s the motivation Ellison needs to stay competing at an elite level.
“It’s like steel sharpens steel. I want to shoot against the best in the world and to do that, you have to shoot against these guys,” he said. “Over my career, I’ve worked extremely hard, and I think that’s what’s helped me be at the top for so long.”
Ellison said he’s going to celebrate this moment until it’s time to get back out to the training range.
At 35 years old, Ellison isn’t looking to hang up his bow yet, but does want fans to know to enjoy the rivalry between him and Kim while it lasts.
“I think we’re going to do a rematch in LA,” he said, referencing the location of the 2028 Olympics. “When we both end up putting our bows up, it will be probably one of the greatest duos that’s been in archery.”
SEE MORE: Paris Olympics a coming-of-age milestone for American archer Casey Kaufhold
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