Aiming for the quiet eye in biathlon

The duration of the so-called "Quiet Eye" (QE) - the final fixation before the initiation of a critical movement - seems to be linked to better perceptual-motor performances in various domains. For instance, experts show longer QE durations when compared to their less skilled counterparts. The aim of this paper was to replicate and extend previous work on the QE [Vickers and Williams 2007] in elite biathletes in an ecologically valid environment. Specifically, we tested whether longer QE durations result in higher shooting accuracy. To this end, we developed a gun-mounted eye tracker as a means to obtain reliable gaze data without interfering with the athletes' performance routines. During regular training protocols we collected gaze and performance data of 9 members (age 19.8 ± 0.45) of the German national junior team. The results did not show a significant effect of QE duration on shooting performance. Based on our findings, we critically discuss various conceptual as well as methodological issues with the QE literature that need to be aligned in future research to resolve current inconsistencies.