Steven Hallard

Lore & Background

Hallard first appeared at the Olympics in 1984 in Los Angeles, finishing 21st in the individual event with a score of 2473. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, a new elimination format was introduced. Hallard ranked 7th in the preliminary round but was eliminated in the 1/8 final, finishing 21st. That year also marked the first Olympic team event in archery. Hallard, alongside Richard Priestman and Leroy Watson, formed the British team. After being ranked eighth from the individual preliminary round scores, Britain advanced to the semifinal, improved to fourth, and then scored 968 in the final round to win the bronze medal behind hosts Korea and the United States. This was Britain's first Olympic archery medal since 1908.

In 1992, Hallard and Priestman were joined by teenager Simon Terry. The competition now used a ranking round followed by a knock-out tournament. Britain scored 3833 and ranked 6th after the ranking round. They defeated Germany in the round of 16 and Australia in the quarter-final, then lost to host nation Spain 236-234 in the semifinal. Britain beat France in a playoff to win the bronze medal. In the individual event, Hallard scored 1285 and qualified as the 23rd seed. He defeated Denmark's Ole Gammelgaard in the round of 32 but lost 104-99 to Martinus Grov of Norway in the last 16. Grov reached the semifinals and finished fourth after losing the bronze medal shoot-off to Britain's Simon Terry.

Hallard's final Olympic appearance was at the 1996 Atlanta Games, competing only in the individual event. He was seeded 55th after the ranking round and was beaten in the round of 32 by Tommi Tuovila.

Reader's Guide

Steven Hallard's Olympic career spanned four Games from 1984 to 1996, during which he was part of two bronze-medal-winning British teams. His first medal in 1988 was particularly historic, as it ended an 80-year drought for British archery at the Olympics, the last medals having been won in 1908. The team bronze in 1992, achieved with a new knockout format, further cemented his role in a period of resurgence for British archery. Hallard's individual performances, while not reaching the podium, included a 21st-place finish in 1984 and qualification for the knockout stages in 1992. His consistency across four Olympics and his contributions to the team events helped establish a foundation for later British archery success. The 1988 team, which included Richard Priestman and Leroy Watson, and the 1992 team with Simon Terry and Priestman, demonstrated the depth of British talent during that era.

Did You Know?

• Hallard was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, England on 22 February 1965.
• He was part of the British team that won the first Olympic archery medal for Britain since 1908.
• In 1992, Hallard defeated Denmark's Ole Gammelgaard in the individual round of 32.
• His final Olympic appearance was in 1996 in Atlanta, where he was beaten in the round of 32 by Tommi Tuovila.