Company performs hearing test on 400 athletes in international event.
Schaumburg, IL - August 05, 2013 – GN Otometrics, the world leader in hearing and balance diagnostic systems, was the official partner to test the hearing of top athletes at the most recent Deaflympics. Søren Holst, CEO at Otometrics said, “Becoming a partner in the Deaflympics is a great honor for us and we are very happy to be part of this international event. It was a great experience for all of us, but I am highly confident that our equipment and skilled audiology team has secured comfort and security for each and every athlete who has undergone the test”.
Deaflympics is the first international competition for any group of people with disability. It was created to address the need of hearing impaired athletes for special communication and social interaction the sports field. Formerly known as the International Silent Games, it was launched on 1924 in France. Since then, it has been hosted by various countries worldwide, including the United States in 2007. The most recent Summer Deaflympics was held in the city of Sofia in Bulgaria, where 4000 athletes from over 90 countries competed in 16 different sports.
The ability to hear is significant to an athlete’s ability to perform in sports and the over-all fairness of the competition. Thus, it is essential that the measuring devices can prove the eligibility of the athletes by determining their level hearing loss. Chief Executive Mark Cooper from the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ISCD) said, “The ability to test the athletes and ensure their eligibility for the competition is a vital part in securing fair play. We are very pleased that GN Otometrics have provided us with state-of-the-art testing equipment and highly skilled personnel, and we are confident that we and all of the athletes can rely on their expertise”.
Hearing assessment testing took place before and throughout the competition. In order to determine the top athletes’ hearing loss and eligibility to compete, Otometrics had set up three test centers that were equipped with advanced testing equipment and sent three audiologists from the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research in Southampton in the UK. Two audiologists performed the required assessment and spot tests, while the third audiologist tested athletes from developing countries. By the end of the competition, more than 10% of all participating athletes have undergone the hearing test.
For more information, visit www.otometrics.com/Knowledge-Center/News/Sofia.
About GN Otometrics North America
GN Otometrics is the world's leading manufacturer of hearing and balance solutions. MADSEN, ICS and AURICAL brands offer product solutions ranging from infant-screening applications and hearing diagnostics, to balance testing and hearing-instrument fitting. The OTOsuite software platform helps hearing healthcare providers optimize their workflow by providing a single user interface for multiple test modalities. The Otometrics product brands are exclusively distributed through Audiology Systems Inc. and dedicated partner distributors in the United States. Visit https://www.otometrics.com/ or the Otometrics Expo Page on AudiologyOnline for more information.
