Justin Huish

Lore & Background

Huish grew up in California, living on a street called Broken Arrow. As a ninth-grader he was into skateboarding and thought archery was boring. He did not pick up a bow until age 14, after his parents opened Arrowsmith Archery and he wanted a job. He practiced by standing in the middle of the street, shooting arrows through the front door of his garage, through the back door, and into a target in his backyard. Only three years after starting archery, at age 17, he won the intermediate age division at the National Archery Association's Outdoor Target Championships. He also won significant victories at the 1993 US collegiate championships and the 1995 US Target Championships. Huish had been on the US National Team only since 1994 before his Olympic success. He was known for his unorthodox appearance: wrap-around shades, a backwards baseball cap, a ponytail, and an earring. Huish qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics but withdrew later that year.

Reader's Guide

Huish's double gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games marked the first time a male archer had won both individual and team gold medals in a single Olympics. His feat was later matched by South Korea's Ku Bon-chan in the 2016 Summer Olympics and Kim Woo-jin in the 2024 Summer Olympics. Huish's wins led to a popularity boost for the sport of archery. He was later credited for encouraging actress Geena Davis to take up archery. Despite being ranked no higher than 24th in the world at the time, Huish rose to the occasion and captivated the crowd with his performance and distinctive style. His legacy includes being a pioneer in achieving the double gold, a milestone that would be repeated by others decades later.

Did You Know?

• Huish lived on a street called Broken Arrow.
• He did not start archery until age 14.
• He practiced by shooting arrows through his garage doors into a backyard target.
• He was the first male archer to win double Olympic gold medals.