"Jason Tabansky strikes gold at the Paralympics he was once set to miss."

"Jason Tabansky strikes gold at the Paralympics he was once set to miss." 

Jason Tabansky achieved a career milestone by clinching gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. The 41-year-old American archer triumphed in the W1 men's final, defeating China's Han Guifei with a score of 134-131.

Remarkably, just nine weeks before the Games, Tabansky wasn't even qualified. His chance to compete only arose after Australia's Chris Davis withdrew, allowing him to make his Paralympic debut in Paris.

The rest is a fairy tale.

“I remember loading my arrow, hooking my release, drawing back, and then screaming. I don't remember the shot. All I could think of was to put the pin in the gold and punch this thing, and I did,” Tabansky said after the gold medal match.

Despite trailing after the second and third ends, Tabansky fought back. His second arrow in the final end hit only the 7-ring, a shot that might have cost him the match. But he held his nerve, shooting a perfect 10 to close out the match and secure his long-awaited gold.

His path to the final was anything but easy, having to overcome defending champion David Drahoninsky along the way.

“I practiced at home, shooting four matches every day,” Tabansky shared. “I was shooting against my wife. As long as I was winning and hitting a certain point range, I knew I was on track. I kept that up for about three weeks.”

Jason Tabansky, Archery, Paralympic Games Paris 2024.