Six talented archers have been selected to represent Team GB at the highly anticipated Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
This year's squad boasts a mix of experience, with seasoned veterans Bryony Pitman and Tom Hall returning for their second Games, alongside four exciting first-time Olympians: Penny Healey, Conor Hall, Alex Wise, and 16-year-old Megan Havers, who is taking her GCSEs alongside training for the Games.
Bryony Pitman
Paris will be Bryony’s second Games, after finishing ninth both individually and in the women’s team event at Tokyo 2020. Ranked number 1 last year, she is also an enthusiastic field archer, emulating her father who shot for the British Field Team. Bryony lives in Shoreham by Sea, West Sussex.
Bryony said: “I’m definitely going to take some learnings from Tokyo where I put too much pressure on myself and struggled with the atmosphere which made it difficult for me to feel comfortable. It was only in the last couple of individual rounds where I started to enjoy myself, so that’s something I’m going to focus on in Paris."
Read more about Bryony's journey
Penny Healey
Nominated for BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2023, Penny, from Shropshire, is a rising star in archery. Ranked world number one last year, she also became the 2023 European Games champion and team champion, and as a result of this achievement, she gained GB a recurve women's quota spot for the Paris Olympics.
Megan Havers
The youngest member of the team at just 16, Megan has been studying and taking her GCSEs alongside her training. A member of the Performance Archery Potential Programme, she was part of the team who secured GB’s three women’s quota spots at the Final Qualification Tournament in Antalya. The Leicester-based student got into archery on a family holiday.
Megan said: “I’m going to soak everything in when I’m at the Games. I’m at the start of my Olympic career, so I want to shoot my best and leave knowing I’ve done that. I shoot best when I’m relaxed so that’s going to be my aim.
Alex Wise
A full-time archer from Newcastle, now living in Telford, Alex was part of the team that secured the Olympic quota in 2019 for the Tokyo Games, and he repeated that achievement in Antalya this year.
Alex told us: “I’m most looking forward to getting out there and expressing myself with my teammates in front of what I think is going to be an 8,000-strong crowd. The finals range is where I shoot best so I’m looking forward to performing on that stage. Get me to the Olympics and I’ll put on a show – I really enjoy shooting under pressure."
Learn more about Alex's archery journey
Conor Hall
Belfast-born Conor tried archery in secondary school and never looked back. He now lives in Burton-on-Trent, working as a Security Engineer. Having medalled at every major UK event in 2023, he is well versed at standing on a podium, which bodes well for Paris.
Read about Conor's path to the Olympics
Tom Hall
Tom is a full-time athlete since graduating Warwick University where he earned a PhD in Chemistry. After taking up archery at university, and recovering from injury post-Covid, he made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games where he finished 33rd individually and fifth in the team.
Find out more about Tom's experience
Patrick Huston and Thea Rogers have been named as non-travelling reserves.
Congratulations to all our archers!
Tom Duggan, Director of Performance at Archery GB, said: “I’m delighted for the athletes selected to represent Team GB in Paris this summer.
“Bryony and Penny have shown this cycle what they are capable of at World Cup level, with both being World Number 1 in the last year. Megan has come into the team, alongside finishing her GCSE’s and has added consistency and character to the team.
“The men have developed a really strong sense of belief and momentum this season, and showed at the preparation events and Final Qualification Tournament that they are building nicely towards the Games. The athletes selected came through an exhaustive selection process that started last year and whilst only six can attend the Games, it’s also important to acknowledge the role that Thea Rogers and Patrick Huston have played this year as reserves. The energy and commitment they brought to the teams at the competitions leading into the qualification event was crucial in helping the teams perform to the level they did in Türkiye.
“Both the teams have been building towards the Games and showed the levels they are capable of last week at the Final Qualification Tournament in Türkiye and we are looking forward to seeing them perform to their potential in Paris.
“Qualification, selection and preparation for an Olympics is the product of a lot of hard work and commitment from athletes and WCP staff alike as well as the sacrifices, commitment and support of the athletes friends and families. The athletes and Archery GB wanted to recognise the contribution of those individuals and groups who have played a significant role in each athlete’s introduction and development within the sport and journey to Paris.”
Olympic World Class Programme Support Team:
Staff Team for Paris:
Chelsea Orme (Psychologist)
Kieran McMahon (Physiotherapist)
Naomi Folkard (Women’s Team Coach)
Nicky Hunt (Men’s Team Coach)
Tom Duggan (Team Leader)
Olympic WCP Support Team:
Charlotte Burgess (Performance Coach)
Chris Wanford (Strength and Conditioning Coach)
Ellie Eyres (Physiotherapist)
James Maurice (Psychologist)
Katy Cumming (Performance Operations Manager)
Richard Collins (Head of Performance Support)
Rikki Bingham (Olympic Performance Manager)
Sarah Smith (Performance Lifestyle Adviser)
Steph Kelly (Performance Coordinator)
The entire archery community is behind our Team GB squad, cheering them on as they chase Olympic glory in Paris! We look forward to sharing their journey in the coming months.
