The International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) has chosen GN Otometrics as the official partner to test the hearing of international deaf athletes at the Sofia 2013 Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria. Four thousand deaf athletes will compete from over 90 countries.

The testing partnership was signed by Otometrics CEO Soren Holst and ICSD Chief Executive Mark Cooper. Deaflympics logo The Deaflympics logoUnder this agreement, GN Otometrics will provide best in class testing equipment to assess the level of hearing loss among the competing international athletes across 16 different sports. The testing will be carried out by audiologists from the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research in Southampton, UK.

Close to 300 competing athletes will be tested prior to and during the Deaflympics in specially arranged areas suitable for audiological tests. The testing will start before the Deaflympics and continue during the games. 

Cooper explains that the testing is needed to ensure fair play. “It is vital that we are able to prove the eligibility of our athletes, and that means demonstrating their deafness. We are delighted to announce this partnership with GN Otometrics. With their products, we know we’ll have results we can rely on.“

“It is an honor and a true pleasure to support the Sofia 2013 Deaflympics. I am highly confident that Otometrics’ equipment and the UK audiology team will secure comfort and security for each and every competing athlete participating in testing. But overall, I am just happy to be part of this great event,” said Holst in the press release.

In the video below, Cooper is interviewed about the event and the significance of the Deaflympics torch relay from Paris to Sofia.

 

SOURCE: GN Otometrics