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Analysis Of Eye And Head Tracking Movements During Shooting From The Prone Position In Biathletes Compared To Novices
Biathlon shooting is one of the most cru cial aspects that determines an athlete's success. Several factors can affect shoot ing performance. This research was aimed at studying a range of eye and head movement parameters in biathletes of different skill levels as well as in novices in order to identify the most rel evant and differentiating ones that sepa rate novices from professionals. Eye and head movement parameters were recorded with a Pupil Labs Invisible (PI) infrared video recording eye track er. Recorded frequency is up 200 Hz, additive error in location determination is up to 5 deg, according the documenta tion. The study revealed significant dif ferences in visual motor control parame ters between elite biathletes, sub elite biathletes (with Candidate Master of Sports levels of proficiency) and novices. Elite biathletes show: a minimal gaze path length after shooting, indicat ing strong fixation on the target, which enhances accuracy; lower pre shooting head and gaze velocities and a reduced movement range, demonstrating strong gaze stabilization; a significantly smaller normalized ellipse square, indicating focused concentration with minimal excessive movements; and longer (twice as long as novices) and fewer fixations, with a high QIVT ratio (0.93 vs. 0.51 for novices), reflecting efficient attention allocation. Professionals blink less, cor relating with improved concentration and reduced cognitive load during criti cal tasks, alongside shorter shooting durations. The data obtained can be used to design personalized training pro grams aimed at enhancing gaze stability and reducing cognitive load.