Alpine Skier Arif Khan believes his high-altitude and mental training will benefit him in the 2022 Winter Olympics

Indian Alpine skier Mohammad Arif Khan is all set to make history when he takes part in the Slalom and Giant Slalom events as he will compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics which are being held in Beijing. He has millions of people behind him who are wishing him a very successful spell in the tournament.

The only Indian to have qualified for Beijing 2022, Arif Khan is also the first Indian ever to make the cut for two different disciplines at a single edition of the Winter Games. To mark the occasion, the 31-year-old is leaving no stone unturned in his preparations for the big-ticket event.

Arif Khan was back in his hometown Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir recently, doing some elevation training to condition his body before leaving for China.

“The high altitude of Gulmarg really helps us, especially getting our muscles used to the high altitudes,” Arif Khan said during a media interaction facilitated by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on Sunday.

“This can be helpful if I want to progress in China because that (Olympics venue) is at a lower elevation so, here you can build up your lungs with endurance and high-intensity training,” Arif Khan added.

Altitude training is done by elite athletes in elevated areas with low barometric pressure. This helps in increasing the flow of oxygen in their body and boosts their lactate threshold, which in turn delays exhaustion and improves performance.

Gulmarg, situated at 2650m above sea level, is considerably higher than the venue for the Winter Olympics 2022, National Alpine Ski Centre, which is at a 1200m elevation.

But it’s not just physical training that is needed to excel at the Winter Olympics, Arif Khan feels.

Arif Khan also has a plan in place to ensure his mind is functioning at the optimal level, along with his body.

“We always have trainers for mental preparation and balance. You know sports, especially this sport (alpine skiing), depends on 70 percent on mental preparation.

“You may be strong physically and can go down the hill super-fast but if you are disturbed mentally and not focused, you can make mistakes and go out of the race. To be stable mentally, we always train with our feelings,” Arif Khan explained.

Speaking earlier this year, Arif Khan had expressed the realistic expectations he has for Beijing 2022.

He said “My aim is to make it among the top 30 athletes. That would be one of the best results that India can have.”

Arif Khan has reached Beijing on Monday and will compete in the men’s giant slalom on February 13 and men’s slalom on February 16.