(July 13, 2004) —ABC Sports announced the archery competition from the ESPN Great Outdoor Games V presented by Dodge — held last week in Madison, Wis. — will be part of its afternoon “prime time” broadcast July 18 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Eastern time.
“This is a huge deal for recreational archery to be included in ABC Sports’ Sunday afternoon programming,” said Denise Parker, vice president of the Archery Trade Association, which sponsors the archery competition at the annual Great Outdoor Games. “Sunday afternoon is a highly coveted time slot in American sports broadcasting. This will put archery into the living rooms of more than 20 million families. This demonstrates ABC and ESPN view the archery competition as an exciting event that’s not only fun to watch in person, but also generates excitement for TV viewers.”
Sunday’s 3:30 to 5 p.m. show will also feature the women’s log-rolling event and the “Big Air” finals, both fan favorites. The “Big Air” competition features hunting dogs that leap more than 22 feet from a dock into water, the canine version of the long jump.
If you miss Sunday’s broadcast, the archery competition will be broadcast again July 19-20 on ESPN and ESPN2 as part of the networks’ highlights from the Great Outdoor Games. Check local listings for specific times and content.
The archery competition took place July 9 at Madison’s Alliant Energy Center, and attracted standing-room-only crowds, many of them archers and bowhunters from across the region. Randy Hendrix of Clemons, N.C., won the gold medal, his third in the past four Great Outdoor Games. Wayne Endicott of Springfield, Ore. won the silver medal, and two-time silver medalist Randy Ulmer of Cave Creek, Ariz., won the bronze.
Parker said ABC’s decision to broadcast the archery event is a tribute to the archers themselves. “They’ve worked hard to improve their skills for this event, and they take their preparation very seriously,” she said. “This is the fifth year we’ve participated in the Great Outdoor Games, and every year we see a stronger field of 16 for the finals. They create a lot of drama, and they work hard to give ABC, ESPN, spectators and viewers quality competition.”
Original broadcasts from the other Great Outdoor Games events will run on ESPN and ESPN2 from July 14 through July 18.
