London Olympic 2012
In the land of the blind
Im Dong-Hyun cannot read the letters on a keyboard. By all accounts, if you dictated this article to him, he could not have typed it up on a computer. His vision is 20/200; in layman’s terms that is vision which is ten times worse than the normal person. By definition that also makes him legally blind.
Yet, on Friday, when he will stand 70 metres away from a target that he cannot even see, Im will aim not just for the wooden circular board at the end of the line, but specifically at the minute gold centre at its heart. Because for the ‘blind’ Im, the Olympic is not just about participating, it is about winning an individual gold medal that has so far proved agonisingly elusive.
The South Korean’s story seems to just emanate from the script of a Hollywood summer blockbuster. Indeed, the leap of faith required to hit a target so far away that you cannot even see, requires a certain level of conviction that most mere mortals lack.
There has been plenty of brouhaha made of Oscar Pistorious’s efforts to qualify for the Games, but even there is the question mark of whether the South African’s prosthetic limbs give him an unfair edge over other competitors. While you can debate the merits and demerits of Pistorious’s ‘legs’, with Im, there is no such issue. Paraphrasing the words of the famous Nike advert, he hits targets that he does not see, but can only imagine.
“I can see the colours,” insists Im. “Without the colours it would be a problem,” he admits sheepishly. The claim is remarkably self-effacing. Playing any sport without the gift of perfect vision is a challenge. Competing then, in archery where you hit targets almost the length of a football pitch should realistically be an insurmountable challenge for one who cannot see.
But Im has managed to adapt, develop and hone a technique to such razor sharp perfection that he has rapidly ascended into the world’s premier archer.
His laden trophy cabinet includes the World Championships and World Cup individual gold medals along with his team Olympic medals. Yet he is desperate to pick up the one prize that has eluded him: individual Olympic gold.
His technique to reach such dizzying heights is amazing and his devotion to the sport is hellish. “I don’t care if I can see the target or not. It’s not important. It’s all in the colours.” Not that those are much clearer, often resembling a medley of mixed paints, difficult to distinguish. But Im still manages to ‘feel his way’ to the target.
“Archery requires very sensitive muscles,” he says. “I used to play football at school, and I enjoyed really physical sports, but I now try to avoid any sports that might build up different muscles. That might have a negative impact on my archery.”
And, for Im, that simply would not do.
(Bangladesh archer Emdadul Haque Milon will be competing in the archery recurve bow event alongside Im Dong-Hyun in the Men’s Individual round at Lord’s Cricket Ground today)
Menu of Events
1. Entry by the Head of State
2. Playing the national anthem
3. The parade of the athletes
4. The symbolic release of pigeons
5. The opening of the Games by the Head of State
6. Raising the Olympic flag and playing the Olympic anthem
7. The taking of the Olympic oath by an athlete
8. The taking of the Olympic oath by an official
9. The taking of the Olympic oath by a coach
10. The Torch relay and Olympic flame
11. The artistic programme
(order may be changed; the opening ceremony starts at 2am tonight Bangladesh time)
-With The Daily Star input