[Sportsandrec] Legally blind South Korean archer

[jody at thewhitehats.com]

Forwarding:

Legally blind South Korean archer Im Dong-Hyun eyes gold medal at the Games

Friday, July 27, 2012 8:37 AM

London 2012 Olympics: legally blind South Korean archer Im Dong-Hyun eyes
gold medal at the Games

 

He may not be able to read a newspaper at arms-length, being legally blind,
but South Korean Im Dong-Hyun is one of the favourites in the individual
archery gold medal at the London Games. 

 

REUTERS

 

By Oliver Pickup

10:22AM BST 26 Jul 2012

 

The 26 year-old, who hails from Chungbuk, already has two Olympic gold
medals to his name, having won the team event in Athens - aged only 18 - and
Beijing four years ago. 

 

It is a staggering feat when one considers that he has 20/200 vision in his
left eye, meaning he needs to be 10 times closer to see an object than
someone with perfect 20/20 vision. 

 

His right eye, meanwhile, is not much better - he has 20/100 vision in that
one - and yet he has no problem in hitting a 122cm target from 70 metres. 

 

His emergence as one of the best archers in the world is remarkable,
considering his distinct disadvantage - though Im is prickly when people
take pity on him. 

 

"I don't have a stick, I don't have a blind dog," he said after a practice
session at Lord's, where the archery competition will take place, on
Wednesday. "It's unpleasant when people say I'm disabled. All this interest
in my sight is not welcome." 

 

In addition to his Olympic medals he has a cabinet packed with other
trophies, including four world titles and another four Asian Games golds. 

 

Im says firing his pointed arrows at the board is much like an archer trying
to pinpoint the fruit in a still life painting in which the colours have run
after being left out in the rain. 

 

"With my vision, when I look at the target, it looks as if different colour
paints have been dropped in water," he continued. 

 

"The boundaries are not that clear and the lines between the colours are
very blurred." 

 

The archer has dismissed the notion of wearing glasses or undergoing eye
surgery, and instead prefers to rely on "feel" and his ability to pick out
the bright colours. 

 

"I've practised using glasses before but actually it makes me feel less
comfortable when I shoot," he said. 

 

"When I look down the range at the target all I can do is try to distinguish
between the different colours. If I couldn't see the colours, now that would
be a problem." 

 

One colour he does not have trouble picking out is gold, and he added: "This
is my third attempt at getting the individual medal and if I'm lucky I'll do
it."

 

 

 

Blind South Korean sets world marks

July 27, 2012, 7:04 AM ET

Associated Press 

 

LONDON -- A legally blind archer has helped South Korea set the first world
records of the Olympics.

 

Im Dong-hyun broke the 72-arrow mark with 699 points in men's archery.

 

He also took part in the team shoot Friday, teaming with Kim Bub-min and Oh
Jin-hyek. They broke the world record, scoring 2,087 points with 216 arrows.

 

 

Barbara



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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