At 41, archer Matt Stutzman won a gold medal in Paris on Sunday, beating China's Ai Xinliang in the men's solo compound open and setting a Paralympics record with 149 points out of 150.
Stutzman's triumph comes 12 years after his silver medal at the London 2012 Paralympics. Stutzman stated, “I knew going into this it was going to be my last Games, so there's a lot of emotion, and I didn't expect this medal, to be honest,” referring to the physical strain competitive shooting has placed on his hips.
While most para archers have some type of handicap, Stutzman, from Fairfield, Iowa, can use his arms to grasp the bow. Stutzman, born armless, utilizes his legs.
At 17, Devi debuted on the Paralympic stage and opened the 1/8 elimination round of the women's individual compound open event with a bullseye that sent the crowd cheering and social media ablaze.
French soccer player Jules Koundé and British broadcaster Piers Morgan were among the many who were impressed. Many called her work “poetry in motion.
In a Friday interview with The Indian Express, Team USA mentor Stutzman called Devi "the future of the sport" despite her one-point loss. She'll probably inspire the next generation more than I did."
Stutzman was born armless, but physicians couldn't establish a cause. He claimed in a Paralympic Games video biography earlier this year, “They did some research, and I’m just one in a million.”
Archery began at 28. It prompted him to learn in 2010 after seeing it on TV. Stutzman won several events in competitions with non-disabled competitors after several practices.
Stutzman entered qualifying competitions when someone suggested Paralympic archery in Las Vegas in 2011. Expectations were low as he competed in London in 2012. He won silver.
Devi entered the 2024 Paralympics' women's compound open ranking round with a record 703 points out of 720. Later, Turkey's Öznur Cüre exceeded it with 704.
Although she lost the solo event against Mariana Zúñiga of Chile, Devi remains hopeful of medaling in the mixed team compound open with her 39-year-old India compatriot Rakesh Kumar in Paris.