Darrell Pace

Lore & Background

Darrell Pace took up archery and within three years, at age 16, became the youngest member of the U.S. team at the archery world championships, where he finished twenty-third. He went on to win four consecutive national archery championships from 1973 through 1976, and added titles in 1978 and 1980. He won the world title in 1975 and 1979, and finished second to long-time rival Richard McKinney in 1983.

After winning an Olympic gold medal in 1976, Pace was selected for the 1980 Olympic team but did not compete due to the U.S. Olympic Committee's boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. He was one of 461 athletes to receive a Congressional Gold Medal instead. In 1984, he took a 13-point lead after the first day of the four-day competition and won an easy victory. He also competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics, finishing ninth in the individual competition and winning a silver medal in the team event along with McKinney and Jay Barrs.

In 1974, at the U.S. Nationals in Oxford, Ohio, Pace set his first FITA record of 1291, beating John Williams' record of 1268 shot at the 1972 Olympics. He broke that in 1975 at the Nationals with the first 1300 in history, scoring 1316. In 1978, Ferrari from Italy broke that with a 1318. Pace then shattered that the next year in 1979 with a 1341 in Japan; that record stood for 10 years. All in all, Pace held the Total FITA world record for 14 years, raising the record a total of 71 points in 5 years.

Reader's Guide

Darrell Pace's significance lies in his dominance across Olympic and world competition, culminating in his recognition as 'Archer of the Century' by the World Archery Federation in 2011. He won two individual Olympic gold medals (1976 and 1984) and two individual World Championship titles (1975 and 1979), a feat that placed him among the most decorated archers in history. His career was marked by a series of record-breaking performances: he set his first FITA record in 1974, broke it with the first 1300-point score in 1975, and later raised the world record to 1341 in 1979, a mark that stood for a decade. Over five years, he raised the total FITA world record by 71 points, and he held the record for 14 years overall. His legacy also includes a Congressional Gold Medal received as part of the 461 athletes affected by the 1980 Olympic boycott, and a park named in his honor in Hamilton, Ohio. His rivalry with Richard McKinney, whom he finished behind at the 1983 World Championships, and his team silver medal with McKinney and Jay Barrs in 1988, further contextualize his era in archery.

Did You Know?

• He set the first 1300-point FITA record in history in 1975.
• He held the Total FITA world record for 14 years, raising it by 71 points in 5 years.
• Darrell O. Pace Park, a 7-acre park in Hamilton, Ohio, is named in his honor.