Greatest archers of all time: 10 of the best toxophilites ever

Arching is one of the most artistic sports encouraging athletes who have concentration, discipline and keenness. It has grown to be one of the best sports to watch in the recent past. So, who are the greatest archers of all time?

South Koreans and Italians dominate the list as some of the best archers as the sport is also more popular in those countries. Archers like Hiroshi Yamamoto, Im Hyun and Kim Soo Nyung have made history breaking and breaking records. Here is a list of the world’s greatest archers.

Top 10 greatest archers

To excel in this sport you need precision, accuracy and concentration. These are fabulous athletes who have written their names in history books. Do you know who the best archers are? Here are the 10 best toxophilites:

10. Hiroshima Yamamoto

He debuted his career in 1981 competing in his first Olympics in 1984 thereby winning a bronze medal at the tournament. His talent knew no bounds as his high school and college career was filled with incredible wins garnering 7 national titles in the time which is a record. In his other appearances in the Olympics, the star athlete did not go back home with any silverware as he finished eighth in Seoul in 1988, 17th in Barcelona in 1992 and 19th in 1996 Atlanta. He represented Japan in his career.

9. Park Kyung-Mo

He is a South Korean who has won three medals for his country; two gold and one silver while boasting of the world number one title for a while. He also won 4 championship gold medals among his six championship medals.

8. Lee Sung Jin

The South Korean has three Olympic medals in the three appearances she made for her country. She was once the world number one and won a Championship in 2005 which is impressive since she did not consider archery as her main sport. In school, she preferred track events.

7. Michele Frangilli

The Italian has won three medals for his country one being a gold medal from the 2012 London Olympics. He is heavily praised due to his longevity boasting 7 world championship medals he got between 1999 and 2011.

6. Marco Galiazzo

The Italian is the only person from his country with multiple gold medals while holding the world number one. He won gold in the London 2012 Olympics. The star has also won multiple championships appearing on the podium severally.

5. Darrell Pace

The American remains the only archer to win multiple gold medals in individual games in the Olympic games. He boasts of winning gold in Montreal in 1978, Los Angeles in 1984 and a silver medal in the team event in 1988. The star has also won 8 pan American Games medals in his career.

4. Ki Bo Bae

She is considered the greatest archer of all time by some due to her incredible talent and wit. She won the 2012 London Olympic gold medal with ease past her competitor on an individual level. The phenomenal athlete did not stop there as she went on to win another gold medal with her team.

She also boasts of holding the world record of 686 where she edged out her compatriot Park Sung Hyun’s 682. The record had been standing for more than 11 years. She also won 7 world championship medals including 5 gold medals between 2011 and 2015.

3. Yun Mi-Jin

She is one of the most famous archers in the world holding the record for 173/180 for the 18-arrow contest. She has 3 Olympic medals being a world champion on three occasions achieving the honour of being only the third Korean to have this feat. The star athlete also boasts of being the former number one in women’s recurve.

2. Im Hyun

One of the things that make him so great is he has 20/200 vision in his left eye and 20/100 in his right eye which puts him at a disadvantage. The South Korean legend set the record for the 72-arrow men’s individual recurve with a 687 score in his debut appearance at the Athens Olympics. He reset the record again in 2012 at 699 beating his countryman Kim Bub-Min by one point. He has eight world championships.

1. Kim Soo Nyung

So, who is the best archer ever? Kim Soo Nyung is the name. The star is also the most decorated archer in the Olympics with six medals. She retired from the sport in 1992 after getting married and made a comeback in 1999 marking her return with a bronze medal in Sydney in 2000.

She also has 4 world championship gold medals and an Asian Games Bronze medal. The International Archery Federation recognized her as the Female Archer of the 20th century. She is considered the world’s greatest archer in history.

Who is the god of archers?

Apollo is considered the god of archers in Greek mythology. He was also considered the god of music, dance, truth, healing, diseases, and the Sun. He was also the most famous god of archery.

South Koreans dominate the list of the greatest archers of all time with the incredible Kim Soo Nyung taking the top spot. Im Hyun takes the second spot as he defied all odds to become of the best archers of our times. The list keeps on growing as more talented archers are unveiled.

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