Darrell Pace facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Darrell Pace

Personal information
Born	(1956-10-23) October 23, 1956 (age 68) Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Height	5 ft 10+1/2 in
Weight	141 lb
Sport
Sport	Archery
Medal record Men's archery Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 1976 Montreal Individual Gold 1984 Los Angeles Individual Silver 1988 Seoul Team Pan American Games Gold 1979 San Juan Team Gold 1983 Caracas Individual Gold 1983 Caracas Team Gold 1987 Indianapolis Team Gold 1991 Havana Individual Gold 1991 Havana Individual (70 m) Silver 1979 San Juan Individual Bronze 1987 Indianapolis Individual

Darrell Owen Pace, born on October 23, 1956, is a famous American archer. He is known for winning two individual gold medals at the Olympic Games and two individual titles at the World Archery Championships. In 2011, the World Archery Federation honored him as the "Archer of the Century" because of his amazing achievements in the sport.

Archery Career Highlights

Darrell Pace started archery at a young age. Just three years after picking up a bow, at 16, he became the youngest person on the U.S. team for the world championships. He finished 23rd in that competition.

National and World Titles

Pace quickly became a top archer. He won the national archery championship four times in a row, from 1973 to 1976. He also won this title again in 1978 and 1980. He became a world champion in 1975 and 1979. In 1983, he placed second to his long-time rival, Richard McKinney.

Olympic Journey

Darrell Pace won his first Olympic gold medal in 1976. He was chosen for the 1980 Olympic team too. However, he could not compete because the U.S. Olympic Committee decided to boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. This meant American athletes did not go. Instead, he received a special award called a Congressional Gold Medal.

In 1984, Pace returned to the Olympics. He took a big lead early in the competition. He then easily won his second individual Olympic gold medal. He also competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics. There, he finished ninth in the individual event. He won a silver medal in the team event with his teammates Richard McKinney and Jay Barrs.

Setting World Records

Darrell Pace was also known for setting new world records in archery. In 1974, he set his first FITA record. A FITA record is a score achieved in a specific type of archery competition. He broke his own record in 1975, becoming the first archer to score over 1300 points. Another archer broke his record in 1978. But Pace quickly set a new, even higher record in 1979. This record stood for 10 years. Overall, Darrell Pace held the world record for the total FITA score for 14 years. He improved the record by a total of 71 points during his career.

Lasting Recognition

A park in Hamilton, Ohio, called Darrell O. Pace Park, is named in his honor. This park is about 7 acres in size.