[Sportsandrec] Legally blind South Korean archer

Mon Aug 6 18:11:08 UTC 2012

So, good thing this guy doesn't have a blind dog guiding him around,
or a stick for that matter. I would venture to say that blind guide
dogs and sticks don't do a good job.

Anyways, his acuity doesn't make him legally blind since the
definition of legal blindness is the better eye with correction must
be 20/200. However, I wonder if his field of vision is compromised. I
really dislike it when the news reports things incorrectly.

LM

On 8/6/12, Sean Whalen <smwhalenpsp at gmail.com> wrote:
> He's actually probably extremely skilled, and likely gets around just fine.
> It is just sad and ironic to have the media take a guy who 1) is not even
> legally blind, 2) doesn't identify himself as blind, and 3) has what is
> clearly a crappy attitude about blindness, and hold him up as an example of
> what blind people can achieve.
>
> Sean
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Fred's ol' XP
> Sent: Monday, August 06, 2012 1:34 PM
> To: Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] Legally blind South Korean archer
>
> Hmmm?
> This guy is lucky, and I'm glad that he can win in the Olympics.  I'm
> guessing that he is not an independent traveler, and probably is not safe
> walking to local stores, post office, etc. in day light.  At night, he is
> probably even less independent.
> Fred
>
>
>>Isn't this the saddest friggen thing you ever heard? a high partial
>>needing to get so close, the his target  he can actually tongue kiss
>>his target?
>>I would hate to imagine how close a real blind person would need to
>>get, in order to even hit the side of a barn!  I dunno about you but my
>>heart is bleeding!
>>  08:27 AM 8/6/2012, Sean Whalen wrote:
>>>Poor bastards with their sticks and blind dogs. If he's 20/100 in the
>>>better eye, is he even legally blind anyway?
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org
>>>[mailto:sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>>>jody at thewhitehats.com
>>>Sent: Monday, August 06, 2012 10:14 AM
>>>To: 'Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List'
>>>Subject: [Sportsandrec] Legally blind South Korean archer
>>>
>>>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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