Xue Haifeng

Lore & Background

Xue Haifeng was born on January 13, 1980, in Ili, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. He first represented China at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual archery, where he won his first two matches to reach the round of 16 before losing to Vic Wunderle of the United States, finishing 12th overall. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Xue scored 663 points in the ranking round, earning the 18th seed. In the first round of the individual competition, he faced 47th-seeded Jay Lyon, who scored 111 points to Xue's 106, eliminating Xue. Lyon later advanced to the third round, where he was beaten by Bair Badënov. Xue also competed in the team event alongside Li Wenquan and Jiang Lin. The Chinese team ranked 12th and last after the ranking round with a combined score of 1,941 points (Xue 663, Li 646, Jiang 632). In the first round, they defeated Great Britain 214–210, then eliminated Russia 217–209 in the quarterfinals. They lost to South Korea 221–218 in the semifinals but rebounded to beat Ukraine 222–219 in the bronze medal match, claiming the bronze.

Reader's Guide

Xue Haifeng's significance lies in his contribution to China's bronze medal in the men's team archery event at the 2008 Summer Olympics. The Chinese team, seeded last after the ranking round, staged a remarkable run by defeating Great Britain and Russia before falling to powerhouse South Korea. Their victory over Ukraine in the bronze medal match secured China's first Olympic team medal in men's archery since the event's reintroduction. Xue's individual performance at the 2004 Olympics, where he reached the round of 16, also demonstrated his competitiveness on the world stage. His 2008 individual campaign ended earlier than expected against a lower-seeded opponent, but his ranking round score of 663 was a key component of the team's total. The bronze medal highlighted the depth of Chinese archery and Xue's role as a consistent team member alongside Li Wenquan and Jiang Lin.

Did You Know?

• Xue Haifeng was born in Ili, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China.
• He placed 12th overall in men's individual archery at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
• At the 2008 Olympics, he scored 663 points in the ranking round, seeding 18th.