South Korea’s state-run sports research agency said Tuesday it has been providing an array of scientific training programs to the country’s athletes to help them better perform at the 2018 Winter Games. (Image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s state-run sports research agency said Tuesday it has been providing an array of scientific training programs to the country’s athletes to help them better perform at the 2018 Winter Games.
The Korea Institute for Sports Science said the programs, utilizing virtual reality technologies, biometric equipment and even psychology consultations, are designed to give an extra boost to athletes’ strenuous journey toward the quadrennial event.
The PyeongChang Winter Olympics will kick off in the alpine town of PyeongChang, located 180 kilometers east of Seoul, along with its sub-host cities of Gangneung and Jeongseon, next month. South Korea will send its largest team ever for a Winter Games with 144 athletes at the Feb. 9-25 competition at home.
“Experts from respective fields have been focusing efforts on ensuring the successful PyeongChang Winter Olympics,” said Park Young-ok, the president of the institute. “We hope that the precise, professional and state-of-the-art efforts will pay off in PyeongChang.”
The institute said through analysis of videos, it was able to provide customized tips to athletes competing in different sports.
“Within videos, there are answers along with information that can be charted,” said Park Jong-chul, a researcher at the institute.
For example, South Korea’s freestyle skiers were able to compare their styles with rivals from other countries through one-to-one video comparisons, while lugers were able to analyze their starting postures to improve performances.
Physical examinations were also conducted on athletes to design better training programs.
“By utilizing high-end equipment, we provided professional examinations on the athletes. By analyzing the results, we were able to set up training schedules through talks with coaches,” researcher Min Seok-ki said.
Along with such top-notch analysis systems, the institute said it also provided psychological support to athletes.
“We provide consulting on how athletes should manage their state of mind and control anxiety ahead of competitions,” said Hwang Seung-hyun, who oversees psychological consulting programs. The country’s freestyle mogul skiing star Choi Jae-woo was among numerous athletes who have received consultation from Hwang.
“Choi has the nature of a champion. He has high standards when it comes to evaluating himself,” Hwang added. “But if it gets carried away, it may also end up in failure. Thus, I provided consultations to Choi under the motto, ‘Let’s go slowly.’”
Hwang said the institute also adopted high-end equipment for their psychological training.
“For luge athletes, we utilized virtual reality technologies to allow them to have more realistic image training,” Hwang added.
South Korea’s national team aims to grab eight gold, four silver and eight bronze medals at the 2018 Winter Games, seeking for a top-four finish.
The institute said it also provided customized programs for athletes competing in the PyeongChang Winter Paralympics scheduled in March, including those from wheelchair curling and para ice hockey.
(Yonhap)
