The road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games in archery demands rigorous preparation, highlighted by a punishing seven-month national selection process that athletes must complete simply to represent their countries. While the global archery community sets its sights on the next quadrennial, the Republic of Korea enters the LA28 cycle as the undisputed powerhouse of the sport, holding historic records across multiple disciplines that define the standard of international competition.
Korean Dominance and Historic Streaks Heading Into LA28
At the center of Olympic archery stands the Republic of Korea, whose national teams have maintained a near-absolute grip on the podium for over a decade. Records from previous Olympic cycles show that the Korean women’s recurve team captured its tenth gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, a streak the program intends to extend to eleven at LA28. The nation has swept every gold medal in the women's individual recurve event since the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Individual dynasties within the squad remain equally formidable. Kim Woojin, recognized as the most decorated recurve archer in Olympic history with five gold medals across every recurve event since his debut at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, has indicated his intention to compete at his fourth Olympic Games in 2028. Joining him, two-time Olympic gold medalist Kim Je-deok will target his first career gold medal in the men’s individual recurve event while chasing a third gold medal in the men’s team competition.
International Challengers and Contenders to Watch
Beyond the Korean contingent, established international medalists and emerging nations are positioning themselves for the podium in Southern California. In the men’s individual recurve division, five-time Olympic medalist Brady Ellison will look for a potential home-soil advantage should he successfully qualify for the U.S. Olympic team. Meanwhile, Mexican archer Alejandra Valencia, a two-time Olympic bronze medalist, aims to convert her consistent international presence into her first career individual gold medal at LA28.
In the women’s team recurve bracket, Mexico—coming off a bronze-medal finish at Paris 2024—alongside challengers from the People’s Republic of China and India are expected to challenge the defending champions. The competitive depth extends into the compound disciplines as well, where mixed team events continue to showcase elite global talent. The Netherlands enters as the reigning world champion in mixed compound team competition, led by Mike Schloesser, while Denmark secured mixed compound gold at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu under the guidance of Mathias Fullerton. Additional strong performances from Andrea Becerra of Mexico and the United States highlight the broad international competitiveness shaping the LA28 qualification cycle.
