Vision and Sports Performance:10 Summer Olympic Sports that Require Amazing Eyesight
The Summer Olympics are a time of excitement, competition and celebration as athletes from around the globe come together to put their skills to the test.
Every Olympic competitor spends hours each day training to perform at the top of their game. Muscles and techniques matter, of course, but the relationship between vision and sports performance can be equally crucial. From spatial awareness to hand-eye coordination, sports require a variety of visuospatial skills. In some events, sharp vision could make the difference between a first- and second-place medal.
Keep reading to learn which Olympic sports require the best eyesight, what athletes do to keep their eyes at the top of their game—and how you can improve your own athletic visual skills.
Which 10 Sports Does Vision Most Affect?
Almost all Olympic sports have a mix of physical and vision requirements. However, sharp eyes are particularly essential for a chance at a gold medal in these 10 sports:
1. Artistic Gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics encompasses many gymnastic feats. For women, it includes uneven bars, vault, balance beam and floor exercises. For men, it includes the pommel horse, floor exercises, rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar.
All gymnasts use their vision to correctly execute flips and twists to gain the most points possible and avoid injury. Some of the visual skills gymnasts need include:
- Spatial awareness to see how much space they have to complete a movement and avoid falling or going out of bounds
- Eye control to quickly and precisely move their eyes to identify a specific spot while in the middle of their routine
- Visual reaction time while in midair to find a safe landing point
- Hand-eye-body coordination to expertly grab a bar, ring or balance beam at the right moment
2. Diving
Competitive divers leap from a 3-meter springboard or 10-meter platform and dive into the water at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. They must be fast and accurate to achieve a high score.
To dive successfully, dive athletes need:
- Spatial awareness while falling, spinning, twisting and holding tight positions
- Depth perception so they can accurately judge the distance to their jump on the diving platform, their location in the air and distance from the water
- Peripheral vision to be aware of others diving during synchronized diving performances so they start at the same time and execute coordinated movements
3. Swimming
In swimming sports, athletes race through the water in individual lanes, each fighting to be the first to finish. The goggles swimmers wear don’t just keep water out of their eyes—they also help swimmers see and orient themselves. Michael Phelps once famously had his goggles break during an Olympic swim and had to time his turns by counting his strokes.
Swimmers rely on:
- Eye tracking to follow the lines painted on the bottom of a pool or the flags above a pool and position themselves strategically in their lane
- Spatial awareness to gauge their distance from a wall and know when to turn or flip
4. Artistic Swimming
What you probably refer to as synchronized swimming is actually officially known as artistic swimming. This sport involves a team of athletes performing a carefully choreographed routine in the water. They practice meticulously to polish their routine and ensure they perform the movements in perfect coordination.
Vision is extremely important for artistic swimmers, as they use:
- Spatial awareness to know where teammates are so they move as one cohesive unit
- Depth perception to avoid touching the bottom of the pool, accidentally hitting their teammates or drifting too far away
- Eye control to quickly locate and make eye contact with judges when they come out of the water
Fun fact: Not only do artistic swimmers need sharp vision to perform their routine correctly, they also must keep their eyes open in and out of the water without the aid of goggles. Artistic swimmers come out of the water with wide-open eyes and make good eye contact with the judges to make a stronger impression.
5. Racket Sports (Tennis, Badminton and Table Tennis)
Several Olympic sports involve repeatedly hitting an object over a net with a racket. Tennis, badminton, table tennis—all these sports require strong visuospatial skills.
Racket sport players need:
- Hand-eye-body coordination to respond to visual cues quickly and get to a ball or shuttlecock in time
- Depth perception to accurately judge the distance between the approaching object and their racquet or paddle before they take a swing
- Eye tracking to follow a ball or shuttlecock as it flies and changes direction rapidly
6. Fencing
In a fencing match, competitors strike their opponent in specific parts of the body, such as the head or torso, to receive a point. This sport requires great skill and near-perfect eyesight to perform well.
Fencers must use:
- Eye tracking to track the pinpoint-sharp blades so they can aim precisely and avoid getting hit by their opponent’s blade
- Visual reaction time to quickly see their opponent’s movements and react accordingly
- Stereoacuity, or the ability to detect small differences in depth and distance, to closely watch their opponent’s movements and predict their actions—research suggests this skill is particularly strong in fencers.
7. Shooting and Archery
In both shooting and archery competitions, athletes must aim at a target and use their vision to line up a shot. The closer they get to the target’s dead center, the better their score. If their eyes stray even a millimeter, they could miss their shot and chance for a medal.
Archers and shooters need:
- Depth perception to see the distance to a target and adjust their shot and stance accordingly
- Visual focus to concentrate on a tiny center point and aim
- Visual light adjustment to adjust their eyesight and deal with the sun in their eyes or glare on equipment
- Color vision to clearly see the different color fields on targets and aim for the correct ones
8. Track and Field
Track and field are sports many people associate with great strength and speed. Those skills are certainly prominent in track and field competitions, but vision also plays a critical role.
These athletes regularly use:
- Peripheral vision to know where competitors or teammates are running near them and avoid collisions
- Motion perception to gauge how fast their competitors are running and adjust their speed accordingly
9. Basketball
In basketball games, all team members use their eyesight to coordinate their movements with one another and score points.
Research shows basketball players have a plethora of strong visual abilities. To play well, they need:
- Hand-eye-body coordination to successfully shoot, pass and dribble
- Spatial awareness to be aware of their teammates and the opposing team
- Peripheral vision to know where the ball and other players are at all times
- Eye control to focus quickly and precisely on their target
10. Beach Volleyball
In beach volleyball, athletes play a rapid-fire game of volleyball outside in the heat and sand—a physically demanding activity that also requires sharp vision.
Sand volleyball players must use:
- Eye tracking to follow the movement of the ball
- Hand-eye-body coordination to quickly move toward the ball and effectively execute a bump, set or spike
- Peripheral vision to keep track of all players, the ball and the net
How Do Olympic Athletes Protect Their Eyes?
Given the prolific eye power Olympic sports require, it’s essential for athletes to protect their eyes when possible.
Goggles
In some water sports, like swimming and water polo, players use goggles to keep their eyes from getting irritated by chlorine or other chemicals in the water.
Sunglasses
In sports that compete outdoors, the sun can damage athletes’ eyes if they don’t use UV-blocking sunglasses.
Masks
In sports that require physical contact, such as fencing, masks allow players to compete without the risk of harm to their eyes.
Protective Eyewear
In many other sports like field hockey, athletes can use special protective eyewear to keep their eyes safe during competitions.
Even if athletes aren’t allowed to wear protective eyewear during a competition, using it while training still reduces the risk of eye injuries, helping them perform at their highest capacity at the Olympics.
How Do Athletes Exercise Their Vision?
Just as athletes can exercise their muscles to become stronger and more adept at specific movements, they can also exercise their eyes. Train like the pros do and lift your ocular barbells with these eye exercises:
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Yes and No
Try keeping your eyes fixed on one spot while moving your head up and down and side to side. This helps improve your ability to keep your eyes focused on an object while moving, a useful skill in ball and racket sports.
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Peripheral Awareness
Stand in a hallway and fix your eyes on a point at the end of the hall. Without taking your eyes off that point, start describing the other objects in the hallway, like pictures on the wall or patterns on a carpet. This helps you learn how to focus on one object while still “seeing” the surroundings.
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Light Chase
Use a flashlight or laser pointer in a dark room and run the light over a wall in front of you. Keep your head completely still, but have your eyes follow the light. This can help train your eyes to follow rapid ball movements like those in tennis and basketball.
You may not compete in the Summer Olympics, but your eye exercises could make you a force to be reckoned with at your next pick-up game!
Get Vision Like an Athlete with Visionworks
The best athletes know to care for their eyes with protective eyewear and safe practices. Athlete or not, everyone needs regular eye exams to keep their eyes healthy. An eye exam can reveal potential issues before they become serious and get you the protective and corrective eye gear you need.
Your eyes are one of your most valuable assets, so treat them that way! Schedule an appointment at your local Visionworks today.
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Information received through Visionworks® content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, medical recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your eye doctor, physician, or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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