The women's individual was an archery event held as part of the Archery at the 1996 Summer Olympics programme. Like other archery events at the Olympics, it featured the recurve discipline. All archery was done at a range of 70 metres. 64 archers competed.
The same basic competition format as in 1992 was used, though there were some significant changes. The competition began with a 72-arrow ranking round (down from 144 arrows in 1992). This was followed by three elimination rounds (up from two in 1992; the increase allowed every archer to advance to the elimination), in which archers competed head-to-head in 18-arrow matches (up from 12 arrows in 1992). After these rounds, there were 8 archers left. The quarterfinals, semifinals, and medal matches (collectively termed the "finals round") were 12-arrow matches. In all matches, losers were eliminated and received a final rank determined by their score in that round, with the exception of the semifinals. The losers of the semifinals competed in the bronze medal match.
Natalia Nasaridze set a new Olympic record for an 18-arrow match in this round by shooting 168. The largest upset of the round occurred when #55 Nurfitriyana Lantang defeated #10 Anna Mozhar.
Lina Herasymenko, Ukraine def. Jennifer Mbuta, Kenya (156-126)
Wang Xiaozhu, China def. Paola Fantato, Italy (152-143)
Janet Dykman, United States def. Christa Backman, Sweden (156-154)
Yang Jianping, China def. Myfanwy Matthews, Australia (159-150)
Kim Kyung-Wook, Korea def. Iwona Dzięcioł, Poland (164-158)
Severine Bonal, France def. Hamdiah Damanhuri, Indonesia (156-151)
Lin Ya-Hua, Chinese Taipei def. Sandra Wagner, Germany (162-158)
Yoon Hye-Young, Korea def. Leanda Hendricks, South Africa (165-138)
Olena Sadovnycha, Ukraine def. Ugyen Ugyen, Bhutan (153-126)
Katarzyna Klata, Poland def. Khatouna Kurivichvili, Georgia (152-148)
Lindsay Langston, United States def. Yang Chun-Chi, Chinese Taipei (151-150)
Joanna Nowicka, Poland def. Judi Adams, United States (165-152)
Kim Jo-Sun, Korea def. Nadejda Palovandova, Moldova (163-153)
Marisol Breton, Mexico def. Giuseppina di Blasi, Italy (142-139)
Rita Galinovskaya, Russia def. Jargal Otgon, Mongolia (150-150, 10-6)
Kinue Kodama, Japan def. Makhlukhanum Murzayeva, Russia (159-147)
Natalia Nasaridze, Turkey def. Jill Borresen, South Africa (168-140)
Olga Yakusheva, Belarus def. Kristina Persson, Sweden (159-151)
Lin Yi-Yin, Chinese Taipei def. Yana Touniiantse, Kazakhstan (159-140)
Giovanna Aldegani, Italy def. Danahuri Dahliana, Indonesia (157-153)
Elif Altinkaynak, Turkey def. Timea Kiss, Hungary (155-147)
Christel Verstegen, Netherlands def. Elif Eksi, Turkey (155-150)
Jenny Sjovall, Sweden def. Ai Ouchi, Japan (152-152, 9-8)
Lioudmila Arjannikova, Netherlands def. Natalya Bilukha, Ukraine (149-141)
Natalia Valeeva, Moldova def. Misato Koide, Japan (159-141)
Kirstin Lewis, South Africa def. Judit Kovacs, Hungary (150-150, 10-7)
Barbara Mensing, Germany def. Elena Tutatchikova, Russia (150-145)
Nurfitriyana Lantang, Indonesia def. Anna Mozhar, Kazakhstan (155-153)
He Ying, China def. Maria Reyes, Puerto Rico (158-123)
Wenche-Lin Hess, Norway def. Irina Leonova, Kazakhstan (154-148)
Olga Zabugina, Belarus def. Cornelia Pfohl, Germany (158-152)
Alison Williamson, Great Britain def. Deonne Bridger, Australia (156-141)
The #1-ranked archer after the ranking round, Lina Herasymenko, fell in this round. The highest score was posted by Yoon Hye-Young at 167, one short of the record set the round before.
Wang Xiaozhu, China def. Lina Herasymenko, Ukraine (156-152)
Janet Dykman, United States def. Yang Jianping, China (154-148)
Kim Kyung-Wook, Korea def. Severine Bonal, France (159-153)
Yoon Hye-Young, Korea def. Lin Ya-Hua, Chinese Taipei (167-155)
Olena Sadovnycha, Ukraine def. Katarzyna Klata, Poland (158-151)
Joanna Nowicka, Poland def. Lindsay Langston, United States (152-152, 9-8)
Kim Jo-Sun, Korea def. Marisol Breton, Mexico (158-157)
Rita Galinovskaya, Russia def. Kinue Kodama, Japan (155-151)
Olga Yakusheva, Belarus def. Natalia Nasaridze, Turkey (153-153, 9-8)
Lin Yi-Yin, Chinese Taipei def. Giovanna Aldegani, Italy (155-149)
Elif Altinkaynak, Turkey def. Christel Verstegen, Netherlands (160-149)
Lioudmila Arjannikova, Netherlands def. Jenny Sjovall, Sweden (160-151)
Natalia Valeeva, Moldova def. Kirstin Lewis, South Africa (160-143)
Barbara Mensing, Germany def. Nurfitriyana Lantang, Indonesia (144-141)
He Ying, China def. Wenche-Lin Hess, Norway (163-163, 10-7)
Alison Williamson, Great Britain def. Olga Zabugina, Belarus (152-147)
Yoon's score of 331 in the R32/R16 combined set a new Olympic record even as she was defeated by one point in the round.
Wang Xiaozhu, China def. Janet Dykman, United States (156-149)
Kim Kyung-Wook, Korea def. Yoon Hye-Young, Korea (165-164)
Olena Sadovnycha, Ukraine def. Joanna Nowicka, Poland (161-158)
Kim Jo-Sun, Korea def. Rita Galinovskaya, Russia (164-157)
Olga Yakusheva, Belarus def. Lin Yi-Yin, Chinese Taipei (161-157)
Elif Altinkaynak, Turkey def. Lioudmila Arjannikova, Netherlands (160-150)
Barbara Mensing, Germany def. Natalia Valeeva, Moldova (163-158)
He Ying, China def. Alison Williamson, Great Britain (165-159)
Kim Kyung-Wook, Korea def. Wang Xiaozhu, China (106-103)
Olena Sadovnycha, Ukraine def. Kim Jo-Sun, Korea (108-105)
Elif Altinkaynak, Turkey def. Olga Yakusheva, Belarus (109-107)
He Ying, China def. Barbara Mensing, Germany (103-93)
Kim Kyung-Wook, Korea def. Olena Sadovnycha, Ukraine (111-109)
He Ying, China def. Elif Altinkaynak, Turkey (101-100)
Olena Sadovnycha, Ukraine def. Elif Altinkaynak, Turkey (109-102)
Kim's score of 113 in the gold medal match was an Olympic record. It also contributed to a score of 330 in the 36-arrow finals round beginning with the quarterfinal, another Olympic record.
Kim Kyung-Wook, Korea def. He Ying, China (113-107)
