The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics has been officially declared open!
The games kicked off last Friday, February 4th,2022, and athletes from around the world are gathered in Beijing to compete for gold and glory.
South Korea has secured 10 places in speed skating for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, with brilliant medalists from the previous Winter Games in 2018 earning another shot at the podium.
Vision is integral to an athlete’s physical performance and it is no surprise that many opt for a vision correction method to improve their skill level. These are three South Korean Olympians who have undergone vision correction surgery in B&VIIT Eye Center and are ready to bring their A-game in this year’s Olympics.
South Korean speed skating Olympian Bo-reum Kim decided to undergo LASEK at B&VIIT Eye Center in 2020 before getting back on the ice for this year’s Beijing Winter Olympics.
She has already undergone LASEK in another clinic back in 2012, so she says she was careful in choosing the right clinic for her second surgery. Bo-reum says she chose B&VIIT Eye Center because of its high reputation among other skating athletes.
During her interview, she recalls the time when her contact lens fell out during one of her practices and how dangerous it could have been. Focusing on practices and matches is difficult when you constantly have to worry about your contacts or glasses and Bo-reum says she is glad she opted for vision correction. She says she will be recommending B&VIIT Eye Center to those who are looking to get a better vision.
Speed skater Min-seok Kim looks to build on PyeongChang Olympics’ success in Beijing this year after receiving lens implantation surgery (ICL) at B&VIIT Eye Center in 2020.
Min-seok says he grew tired of wearing contact lenses, and especially hated how the dry conditions of the ice rinks hurt his eyes during matches and practices.
The thought of having a surgery performed on his eyes scared him at first, but after going through with it, he says he was also blown away by the results. He is still in awe of his new crystal vision and is amazed whenever he goes outside and can see everything clearly without the aid of his glasses or contact lenses.
What he loved the most about his experience was B&VIIT’ Eye Center’s personalized care. Because of his high myopia, he was informed by the doctor that he wasn’t able to proceed with a laser eye surgery. Instead, Dr. Ryu suggested a lens implantation surgery (ICL) which was a more suitable option for his case. After undergoing a successful surgery, Min-seok says he is incredibly happy about this personalized surgery option.
He thanks B&VIIT Eye Center for giving him a bright new vision, which made him more confident in his eyesight and his performance capabilities.
Min-jung Choi, a short track star who won two gold medals in 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, will take aim at multiple medals at the Beijing Olympics this year.
She recently underwent SMILE surgery in B&VIIT Eye Center, after fellow Olympians Bo-reum Kim and Min-seok Kim recommended her to B&VIIT after their own positive experiences.
She shares her struggles before the surgery and how her goggles constantly slipped off due to sweat. After hearing about pros of the newest vision correction SMILE surgery, she decided to follow through with the procedure. Initially she was very anxious about the surgery, but was amazed to see her vision come out as 1.2 (20/17) for both eyes, the result being better than her original target vision which was 1.0 (20/20).
We asked Min-jung what she wants to do the most now that her vision has improved, and she said she would love to go swimming and fully enjoy the experience without worrying about contacts and glasses.
It’s easy to see why these Olympians chose vision correction procedures to boost their competitive edge. Olympian or not, we all rely on great vision to move around and perform with confidence. If your vision is impacting your ability to see well and enjoy sports and other physical activities, consult with your ophthalmologist to discuss what vision correction options might be a better fit for your lifestyle and vision.
Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose. Good luck to our fellow athletes!