OLYMPIC HISTORY

Archery provided the Olympic Games with its oldest ever female Olympic champion, Sybil "Queenie" Newall, of Britain, who was 53 years and 277 days old when she triumphed in 1908. The events in which she competed were discontinued and the modern Olympic programme did not emerge until 1972.

Since the Games in Munich, US men have dominated the individual competition and won the team event for the first time in Atlanta in 1996. Among women, South Koreans have reigned supreme since Los Angeles in 1984 in both the individual and team events.

The US men have won six gold medals out of a possible ten (only nine if the boycott of the Moscow Games in 1980 is counted) since 1972. Justin Huish, reigning individual Olympic champion and a member of the winning team in Atlanta, is aiming to defend his titles in Sydney.

South Korean women have won seven titles since 1972, including both individual and team gold medals at each of the past three Games. Kyung-Wook Kim, South Korea's leading woman in Atlanta, is not expected to compete in Sydney.