Brady Ellison

As one of the world’s top-ranked archers, Ellison appears to represent the United States’ best hope for ending its 12-year medal drought in the sport. The 23-year-old Ellison showed that he might be a force on the international scene for years to come during a 2011 campaign that was filled with unprecedented achievements. He became the first male recurve archer to win consecutive World Cup finals, the first to claim gold medals at three straight stops on the series and the first to sweep three titles (individual, team and mixed team) at one event. Ellison also won a gold medal in the London Archery Classic by defeating one of his top rivals, South Korea’s Im Dong-Hyun, at the venue for his second Olympic appearance. He also claimed individual and team gold medals at the 2011 Pan Am Games, and finished third at the world championships. Ellison had another third-place finish at the indoor world championships in February and followed by winning his fifth Arizona Cup in his home state. During his first Olympic appearance, he was eliminated in the second round. As a child, Ellison had to wear leg braces for more than a year while recovering from Perthes Disease.