The expert's fixation: cognitive efficiency and attentional selectivity in wheelchair curling athletes across the...

In precision Paralympic sports like wheelchair curling, visual attention is a paramount cognitive determinant of performance. While expertise-dependent differences in gaze behavior are documented in various sports, the specific cognitive mechanisms-particularly attentional selectivity and efficiency-underpinning elite performance in wheelchair curling remain unexplored. This study investigated the visual attention patterns of disabled curling athletes across skill levels to uncover the cognitive strategies associated with expertise.

Forty-eight disabled curling athletes were stratified into elite (Paralympic/World Champions, n = 16), general (National Champions, n = 16), and novice (Provincial Champions, n = 16) groups. Using Tobii Pro Glasses 3, eye movements were recorded during stone deliveries. Metrics included the number of fixations, fixation duration, and their distribution across predefined Areas of Interest (AOIs: Release Zone, Stone Path, Target/House, Other Areas). Performance was quantitatively assessed by international-level judges based on stone placement accuracy.

A significant Group × AOI interaction was found for both number of fixations (p < 0.001,) and fixation duration (p < 0.001). Elite athletes allocated a significantly higher proportion of their fixations (54.3%) and viewing time (59.8%) to the Target, while minimizing attention to Other Areas (14.7% of fixations, 6.3% of duration). Novices displayed a dispersed attentional pattern, with more fixations on non-essential areas. Elites also demonstrated greater cognitive economy, evidenced by a lower total number of fixations and shorter total fixation duration than novices. Critically, fixation measures on the Target were positively correlated with performance scores (strongest in elites: r = 0.53, p < 0.01), whereas attention to Other Areas and the Stone Path was negatively correlated.

Elite performance in wheelchair curling is characterized by highly selective and efficient visual attention. Experts excel not only in focusing on task-critical information but also in actively suppressing distractions, a hallmark of automated cognitive processing. These findings extend the "Quiet Eye" and cognitive efficiency theories to wheelchair curling, highlighting the critical role of perceptual-cognitive skills. They provide a robust empirical basis for developing targeted attention training protocols to accelerate expertise development in precision sports for athletes with disabilities.