The event consisted of a double FITA round.

For each round, the archer shot 36 arrows at each of four distances—70, 60, 50, and 30 metres.

Seven of the top eight archers were from nations that had been absent from the 1980 Summer Olympics.

[1] Neroli Fairhall from New Zealand, who came 35th in this event, was the first paraplegic athlete in history to compete at the Olympic Games.

The following new Olympic records were set during this competition.