The 23-year-old Arizonan is making his second appearance in the Summer Games, and he’s in a stronger position than in 2008. He’s been ranked first in the world two years running, and he’s scored three consecutive World Cup wins. With movies like The Hunger Games and Brave giving archery a rare moment in the spotlight, Ellison is a perfect ambassador for a sport enjoying a surge in popularity.
Ellison began shooting as a toddler, dressing up in a cowboy outfit with a plastic bow. He began competing with a compound bow to practice for hunting. It soon became clear he had exceptional talent and started appearing in tournaments.
Olympic-level shooters use a recurve bow, something Ellison calls, “the modern version of the old longbows and things that humans have shot forever.” They’re among the most technologically advanced gear you’ll see at the Games, and firing one accurately requires calm nerves and more than a little strength. When Ellison is at full draw, pulling back with three fingers, the string is at 53 pounds of tension.
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t think Ellison is the favorite in London — though South Korean shooter Im Dong-Hyun won’t make it easy. The folks at USA Archery call him “one of the most successful and talented athletes the sport has seen.” They’re quick to praise his character, saying he strives to make the best impression possible on younger athletes and realizes he is a role model.
“People are looking at him like he’s the golden child of archery,” fellow Olympic archer Julie Nichols recently told the Arizona Republic. “But he really is just a good kid. He has grown so much as a person and an archer, and he has really embraced the role he is being put into as spokesman for USA Archery and archery in general.”
When he isn’t at the range, you’ll find Ellison swimming, mountain biking and spending every possible moment with his fiance, Sami Novak. She was just beyond camera range when we sat down with Ellison to talk to him about his sport, his experience and his bow.
