Army veteran Jason Tabansky had one last shot and he nailed it. The Army veteran won the gold medal in archery earlier today after his last arrow hit a bullseye, defeating China’s Han Guifei, the top-ranked archer in the individual field.
It was a nail-biter of a finish in the men’s para archery W1 category. The lead changed hands several times. After Tabansky only scored a 7 on his penultimate shot, Han landed an 8, putting him up 131-124. With his last arrow, Tabansky scored a 10, securing the gold medal.
Tabansky wasn’t even originally set to be at the Paris Paralympics. Despite a decent showing, he did not qualify for the summer games. However Australia’s Christopher Davis had to withdraw two months prior due to an injury, opening the spot for Tabansky, the highest ranked para archer who had not already qualified. From there, he took on several of the world’s best until he competed against Han earlier today.
Tabansky joined the U.S. Army in 2001. He served for 15 years, deploying twice to Afghanistan and once in Iraq. He worked as a Chinook mechanic, crewmember and even instructor. In September 2015, he fell out of a Chinook. The impact damaged his spinal cord, leaving him unable to walk.
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Tabansky had been a bow hunter prior to the accident that left him paralyzed. He took up para archery in the wake of it, and found his passion for it there. He’s competed for the United States at several international events, although this was his first Paralympic Games. He told local news prior to the games that his training involves shooting as many as 250 arrows per day to build precision and accuracy.
After winning the gold, Tabansky saluted during the national anthem at the medal ceremony.
Tabansky is one of several active-duty or veteran servicemembers to compete in the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. At the Olympic Games, they won or helped win several medals, including in women’s rugby and skeet shooting.
The 2024 Paralympic Games conclude on Sept. 8.
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