How do visually impaired athletes shoot and ski?

Xinhua News Agency, Chongli, Hebei, March 7 (Reporters Liu Bo, Yang Fan, Guo Yaru) At the Beijing Winter Paralympics, there is a skiing and shooting event, in which athletes shoot after skiing a certain distance. This event is biathlon. The event also has a visually impaired group, so how do visually impaired athletes shoot and ski?

In fact, visually impaired athletes use their ears to "aim" when shooting.

Just like when playing a shooting game, if you don't have the ability to identify the position by hearing the sound, you can't judge the situation around you: Where am I? Where are the others? Where is the shooting target? If you fall into such a situation, the visually impaired athlete will not be able to compete.

Listening to the sound and identifying the target has become a skill that visually impaired athletes must learn. Visually impaired athletes shoot in a prone position, use electronic rifles equipped with a sound aiming system, wear headphones, listen to the prompt sound of the electronic target position, and identify the direction and timing to shoot.

Then the question arises, when do the athletes shoot? In fact, shooting mainly depends on "feeling". When the visually impaired athletes shoot, after judging the direction based on the sound, they need to locate the target by the strength of the signal sent by the sound sensor, and shoot when the tone is the highest.

At the same time, athletes must hit a target 10 meters away. If they miss the target, they will be punished accordingly and will have to slide an additional 150 meters.

In addition, unlike the biathlon for able-bodied people, the audience will not cheer after each shot of the athletes. The "atmosphere group" in the venue will also be very quiet, because any noise may affect the concentration of the athletes.

Visually impaired athletes are not only "sharpshooters", but also "martial arts masters" in the skiing world. Skiing is a test of athletes' physical strength, endurance and will. Paralympic biathlon athletes must be physically strong, calm and able to switch quickly between movement and stillness.

For visually impaired athletes, how do they skate without being able to see?

The guide is their "eyes". The guide skis in front of the athletes and always turns one turn in advance. They guide the athletes through walkie-talkies and loudspeakers. Visually impaired athletes rely on guides to ski for 6 kilometers. All links require concentration, and you must always pay attention to the skiing route, ups and downs, and snow conditions. The guide will loudly remind you of the changes in terrain, fast and slow turns, and guide skiing tactics.

Once you understand this sport, and see visually impaired athletes running fast on the snow and then quickly lying on the ground to listen to sounds and locate the shots, you will immediately feel the charm of this sport that combines movement and stillness, and you will also be impressed by the courage of the visually impaired athletes.

Nothing is impossible in sports. The beauty of imperfection shows the invincible vitality.