Brady Ellison on Korea’s Archery dominance, India’s Olympic hunt

American archery star Brady Ellison has highlighted South Korea’s unparalleled dominance in archery, drawing a comparison with the status of cricket in India. Speaking exclusively to PTI on the sidelines of the inaugural Archery Premier League, Ellison said Korea’s professional ecosystem allows archers to pursue the sport as a full-time career, creating a deep talent pool that other nations find difficult to match.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, South Korea continued its dominance, with the women’s team securing a 10th consecutive gold medal since the event’s introduction at the Seoul 1988 Games. In the men’s section, Kim Woo-jin claimed his fifth Olympic gold, the most by any archer in history.

“Korea is the only country in the world with a truly professional setup. Every one of their archers makes a living just to shoot their bow, even if they’re not in the national team,” Ellison said. “Archery there is like cricket in India or American football in the US. Kids grow up dreaming of being professional archers. Their 50th-ranked archer probably earns more than I do back home.”

The 36-year-old, who held the world number one ranking in men’s recurve archery from August 2011 to April 2013, explained that the professional structure in Korea provides consistent exposure from a young age. “The difference is their system… It lets kids start dreaming of being archers from the age of five or six. They grow up with that drive and discipline. Elsewhere, people pick up a bow mainly to make an Olympic team once or twice, not to make a living. For Koreans, it’s a career—that’s what makes them so consistent,” he said.

Ellison, a five-time Olympian with five Olympic medals and over 60 podium finishes in World Cup stages and finals, also expressed optimism about India’s prospects in archery. He said the country is always “in hunt” for an elusive Olympic medal in the sport.

“India are always in the hunt. You have a ton of medals at World Cups and Championships. If you put your best two recurve shooters together in the mixed team, they’ll be extremely hard to beat,” he said. He also noted that the compound category will make its mixed team debut at the LA 2028 Olympics, presenting India with further medal opportunities.

Ellison welcomed the appointment of celebrated Korean coach Kisik Lee as India’s new recurve head coach, pending final clearance from the Sports Ministry. “If he’s not the best coach in the world, he’s one of them. He’s produced Olympic medals and world champions everywhere he’s gone. It’ll be a huge benefit for India,” he said. However, he emphasised that athlete dedication remains crucial. “Coaches can only do as much. Athletes must be willing to listen, change, and work hard. I think India have those kinds of people,” he added.

The American also addressed the pressure that media attention can place on athletes. “I think the biggest pressure comes from the media and the country itself. When only a handful of athletes are in medal contention, the spotlight becomes overwhelming. Before the Olympics, media requests go up 200-300 per cent. It’s great for exposure, but it takes away training time. You need a good team and a PR setup to act as a buffer,” he said.

Ellison, who remains one of the most consistent archers globally, dismissed age as a limiting factor in the sport. He is currently chasing two significant milestones: becoming the most decorated archer in Olympic history and potentially the first seven-time Olympian in archery.

“I’d love to have a gold medal, but there are other goals now. Making my sixth Olympic team would make me the first American to do it. If I go for seven at 2032, I’d be the first in the world,” he said. Currently tied with Kim Woo-jin at five Olympic medals, he noted the record stands at six and expressed optimism about adding one or two more in LA.

“Age isn’t really a factor in archery. Butch Johnson made an Olympic team at 52. Michele Frangilli and Alison Williamson were winning medals in their 40s. If your body and mind are in shape, you can keep competing into your 40s or even 50s,” Ellison added.

He also praised Indian star Deepika Kumari, who is preparing for her sixth Olympics after returning to competitive archery post-motherhood. “Being a mom and competing at a high level is super difficult. Anytime a mother comes back and gets back to the top, it’s absolutely awesome. Big shout out to all the moms still doing it,” he said.

Ellison is representing the Tamil Nadu franchise Chola Chiefs in the APL, competing alongside experienced Indian archers including Deepika Kumari, Tarundeep Rai, and top compound archer Rishabh Yadav. “It’s been awesome, it’s my first time in India. It’s a place I’ve wanted to visit for a while, and everyone here has treated me amazingly. Deepika and I have competed against each other for about 15 years. Getting randomly paired with people I know and respect has been a lot of fun,” he concluded.