The range we conducted the 2024 bow test at sits right next to Casey Kaufholds home range. During the test, she was out practicing and putting us to shame as she shot out the gold center of her target from 70 meters away with her recurve bow. We were shooting compounds at 50 yards and who shot better groups has been redacted. Let’s just say there was no doubt in our mind that she would represent the USA on the Olympic team. But, going to the games and medaling are two different things.
Kaufholds’ team and individual medal runs were cut short of the podium, but her remaining hope was the mixed team. The top man and top woman from each country compete together. Kaufholds’ teammate was Brady Ellison, ranked seventh in the world. Kaufhold is 20-years-old and this is her second Olympics. Paris is Ellison’s fifth Olympics, which ties one of archery’s all-time greats, Butch Johnson’s record for consecutive Olympic appearances.
The Road to the Podium
The archery competition works a lot like a march madness bracket. Archers shoot 72 arrows are ranked based on that score, and then shoot head-to-head matches. Teams are ranked based on the team member’s combined scores. Ellison finished seventh in the ranking round and Kaufhold finished fourth, which gave them a team ranking of third. That high rank set them up for a favorable bracket through the semi finals.
The mixed-team matches are single elimination and are scored on a set system. Archers get two points for winning a set, one point for tying, and zero for losing. The first to 5 or more set points wins. Team USA’s first round was against Uzbekistan, who they beat 6-0. Next was a tougher match against the mixed team from Japan. Ellison and Kaufhold won the first set, but Japan shot a perfect score (four 10s) in the second set. The teams were tied 2-2. The team USA archers rallied and shot 39/40 points, thanks to two 10s from the 20-year-old archer from Pennsylvania, to win the third set. The teams tied the final set, which gave Ellison and Kaufhold enough set points for the win.
The semi finals put USA in a tough match against Germany. In the opening set Ellison shot two 10s and Kaufhold shot a 10 and 9 for another near perfect score. That 39 was enough to draw first blood and take two points. The German team edged out USA by one point in the second set and then the teams tied the third. The score was 3-3 going into the final set. Ellison and Kaufhold both shot rare 8s to open the match and never got back their footing. They lost the set 34 to 39. But their hopes for a medal weren’t dashed. The loss sent them to the bronze medal match against India.
USA vs. India
Ellison, a three time Olympic medalist, led the team off with a 10. Kaufhold followed it up with a 9. The mixed-team from India opened with a 7 and a 10. USA capitalized on their two point lead with a 9 from Ellison and a 10 from Kaufhold to clinch the set. After winning the second set by a healthy margin, team USA was poised to take the bronze. But, two errant shots from Kaufhold and great shooting by India put the match at 4-2. Kaufhold showed her mental toughness by rallying back and her next arrow into the gold center.
Where USA rallied, India stumbled and their 35/40 points left the door open for USA to take the win. There were 28 points on the score board for team USA with one arrow left to shoot. It was all on Kaufhold who needed eight or more points to win the set and the bronze. Her heart rate never got above 85 bpm as she sunk her arrow into the gold. Just like we had seen her do time and time again on her practice field.
That bronze medal finish is Kaufhold’s first Olympic medal, but not likely her last. Ellison will continue is journey for an individual medal on August 4.