I’ve always been a big Olympics fan, even more so after my experiences as a spectator and volunteer at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. I recently read a story about a “legally blind” archer, Im Dong-Hyun of South Korea, setting the first new world record at the London 2012 Olympics. I was curious to learn more about the eye condition that had left him “legally blind”.
To my surprise, he only has farsightedness, which is correctable with glasses or contacts. He chooses to compete without correcting his vision, and relies mainly on muscle memory for his consistent performance.
The definition of “legally blind” is 20/200 visual acuity in the better eye with the best possible glasses/contact lens correction OR a visual field (peripheral vision) of less than 20 degrees. As much as I would have liked to believe that a “legally blind” archer broke the first world record at the London 2012 Olympics, unfortunately it simply is not true.
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