Alan Wills (archer)

Lore & Background

Wills first appeared at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the men's individual and team archery. In the individual event, he scored 661 points in the ranking round, earning the 21st seed. He defeated Mauro Nespoli 103–98 in the first round and then edged out Marco Galiazzo 110–109 in the second round before losing to Juan Carlos Stevens of Cuba 108–104 in the last 16. In the team event, he joined Simon Terry and Laurence Godfrey; their combined ranking round scores placed them fifth. They were eliminated in the first elimination round by the Chinese team, 214–210. China went on to win the bronze medal. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wills again competed in both individual and team events. In the individual, he was knocked out in the first round by Taylor Worth. The British team were eliminated by Ukraine in the first round of the team event.

Reader's Guide

Wills' Olympic career spanned two Games, with his most notable performance coming in 2008. In the individual event, he advanced to the round of 16, defeating two Italian archers—Mauro Nespoli and Marco Galiazzo—before falling to Juan Carlos Stevens. His ranking round score of 661 placed him 21st, and his team's fifth-place ranking after the round demonstrated competitive strength. The British team's elimination by China, who later won bronze, placed their performance in context. In 2012, Wills was eliminated in the first round of both individual and team events, by Taylor Worth and Ukraine respectively. His career illustrates the challenges of Olympic archery, where narrow margins—such as his 110–109 victory over Galiazzo—determine advancement. Wills remains a figure in British archery from the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Did You Know?

• Alan Wills was born on 3 August 1981 in Cumbria.
• At the 2008 Olympics, he defeated both Mauro Nespoli and Marco Galiazzo before losing to Juan Carlos Stevens.
• His 2008 team, with Simon Terry and Laurence Godfrey, was eliminated by China, who won bronze.
• At the 2012 Olympics, he was knocked out in the first round of the individual event by Taylor Worth.