Paris Olympics: How Dhiraj Bommadevara lost despite scoring 10 in Tiebreaker Shoot-Off?

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A nail-biting contest at the Paris Olympics 2024 as Indian archer Dhiraj Bommadevara faced a heart-wrenching defeat against Canada's Eric Peters in the Round of 32. Both archers were consistent and held their nerves, pushing the match into a dramatic shoot-off, only for Bommadevara to bow out despite hitting a perfect 10.

The match followed the standard archery format, where each archer competes over five sets, with each set allowing three arrows and 20 seconds per arrow. An archer earns two points for winning a set by having a higher combined score over the three arrows compared to their rival. The first archer to win six points takes the match.

If the scores are tied after five sets, the contest heads into a one-arrow shoot-off.
The match was a close encounter from the start.

What Happened in The Match?

The first set saw Bommadevara scoring 28 points, narrowly edging out Peters, who scored 27, giving Bommadevara a 2-0 lead. However, Peters quickly levelled the playing field in the second set, scoring 29 against Bommadevara's 28, tying the score at 2-2. The third set mirrored the first, with Bommadevara scoring 29 and Peters scoring 27, putting Bommadevara ahead 4-2.

The fourth set was equally intense, with Peters scoring a flawless 30, while Bommadevara matched the score with his own perfect 30, leading to a tied score of 5-5 and forcing the match into a decisive shoot-off.

Analyzing the Shoot-Off

Both Bommadevara and Peters hit a perfect 10. However, according to archery rules, when both competitors achieve the same score in a shoot-off, the arrow closest to the inner circle or bull's-eye wins.

Both arrows landed in the 10-ring, but Peters' arrow trajectory at 2.98 meters and an average speed of 250.7 km/h just slightly outperformed Bommadevara's trajectory at 3.11 meters and an average speed of 231.2 km/h. The crucial difference was the distance to the bull's-eye, with Peters' arrow being 2.4 cm closer.

Imagine losing by just a small margin despite hitting a perfect 10. You've got to feel for Dhiraj as he bows out of the Paris Olympics 2024 individual event. He will now feature in the mixed event with Ankita Bhakat with hopes of securing India's first ever archery medal at the Olympics.