The competitors were ranked 1st to 64th based on their ranking round results and seeded into a head-to-head knockout bracket based on this ranking.[2] The 2012 Olympics introduced a new format for the knockout rounds. Each head-to-head match was a best-of-five sets match where each competitor shot three arrows per set. Competitors received two points for winning the set and one point for a draw, with the first competitor to reach six points winning the match. The winner advanced to the next round while the loser was eliminated from the competition.
NB: Im Dong-Hyun broke the world record at the 2004 Olympics with a score of 687. It was not recognized by the International Olympic Committee as an Olympic record because the ranking round took place on 12 August, before the 2004 opening ceremony. Im's 2012 ranking round score is recognized as an Olympic record, despite having been shot before the opening ceremony.[3]
^The LOCOG website lists Im's 10s at 50 (which would not be possible, in order for the overall score to result in 699. However, the World Archery results tracker, which provides the results of every arrow, shows 51 10s and 21 9s.[1]Archived 29 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine This provides the correct total score of 699.