Olympic Times
Winter Olympics 2014
Curling
What is Curling?
The definition of curling is: "a game played on ice in which heavy stones with hands are slid toward a target".
However, it is not as simple as that.
History of Curling
Curling is nicknamed "The Roarin' Game" because of the loud roaring sound of the stone piece flying over the ice.
The game was started as throwing stones over ice on frozen ponds in Scotland. The first international events with curling were In the 19th century. The first rules for curling are thought to have been formed in 1838.
No one knows who played the first game of curling or developed the rules.
Equipment
The equipment for curling includes: brooms for sweeping, 40 pound heavy polished granite stones, curling shoes, gloves, grippers, sliders, curling pants, and safety head bands. You play on an ice rink that has two targets - "houses" on each end. The rink is 42.07 meters long and 4.28 meters wide. The commonly used broom is called the push broom.
How to Play Curling
The object of curling is to have more stones close to the center than your opponent. The team consists of a lead, a second, a vice skip, and a skip. (The skip is the leader of the group.) The two opposing teams take turns throwing stones towards the house, or target. Other members of the team use their brooms to smooth out the ice in front of the stone, trying to get it to the middle of the house using physics and teamwork. There are eight to ten rounds in a game, depending on the league. Each round is referred to as an end.
This Year
This year only three countries walked away with medals.
Canada won two gold medals, Great Britain won a silver and a bronze, and Sweden also won a silver and a bronze. No one else won medals in curling this year.
The USA women's team didn't do very well, but here are their players: Erika Brown, Deborah Mccormick, Ann Swisshelm, Jessica Schultz, and Alison Pottinger.
Curling
This is a wonderful Olympic sport that takes a bit of effort to learn but seems very fun. Hopefully, you have learned some more about this challenging sport. Who knows? Maybe you are hiding an expert sweeper inside of you!