Four years ago was a disappointment.
After spending much of the two years before the Olympics as the top-ranked archer in the world and entering London as a gold medal favorite, Brady Ellison was ready to show the world what he could do.
Instead, however, he found himself victim of an early exit, losing in the Round of 32 to Australia’s Taylor Worth.
But not this time.
First, in the team competition, Ellison led the United States to its second silver medal finish in a row, losing to South Korea and medal favorites Ku Bonchan and Kim Woo-jin.
It wouldn’t be the only time Ellison met Ku these Olympic games, however. He made it through his first four matches in the individual competition pretty easily before meeting Ku once again in the semifinals.
Gold wasn’t in his future, as Ellison lost in a heartbreaking manner: a shootout after the score was tied 5-5 after the fifth and final set.
But he had one final chance to make up for that devastating loss in London – a match against the Netherland’s Sjef van der Berg for the bronze medal.
And this time, Ellison was not letting that medal get out of his grasp.
The score was tied after the second set, but a perfect 30 in the third put him only three arrows away from victory.
Needing only a seven to put the match away, Ellison released his final shot and turned away immediately, knowing his shot was good.
And with that shot, Ellison had found redemption, the disappointment from four years ago swept away.