As a sport, curling dates back to 16th century Scotland, where the earliest version of the sport took place on frozen lochs. By the 19th century, curling clubs were forming throughout Scotland, Canada and other countries with frozen lakes and ponds in winter. In Canada, iron "stones" were used and curling became the first organized sport in the country. And though curling was first introduced as a Winter Olympics sport in 1924, it was soon relegated to demonstration sport status for decades until finally becoming an official medal sport.
Curling Basics
In curling, teams take turns sliding heavy stones, equipped with handles, down a rectangular stretch of ice toward a round target of concentric circles. The team with the stone closest to the center circle wins a point in that round. Rounds are called "ends" in curling, and each team gets to slide eight stones per end. Once a player has released a stone toward the target, teammates with thin, long brushes can quickly sweep the ice in front of the stone to create some heat and friction on the ice and affect the speed and direction of the stone. Teams try to get their stones into scoring position while also trying to knock their opponents out of scoring position or leave stones in positions where they can block the opponents' stones. There are 10 ends per match.
Demonstration Sport Status
Curling made its Olympic debut at the first Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix, France, in 1924. But it was dropped in 1928 and then reintroduced in 1932 as a demonstration sport in Lake Placid, New York. Off and on, between 1936 and 1992, curling appeared as a demonstration sport only. In 1988 and 1992, both men's and women's teams participated.
Medal Sport Status
In the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games in Japan, men's and women's curling became a medal sport to stay. Competitions were held in individual and team events. In 1998, the women's curling team gold medal went to Canada, with Denmark and Sweden picking up the silver and bronze medals, respectively. Men's team curling medals went to Switzerland, Canada and Norway for the gold, silver and bronze, respectively. In the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, the roles were shifted, with Canada's men's team taking gold and Norway getting silver and Switzerland getting the bronze. The women's teams that won medals in 2010 were Sweden, Canada and China with the gold, silver and bronze.
Organization
The World Curling Federation oversees international curling competition, establishing and amending rules as needed. In 2002, the International Olympic Committee decided to amend its history and change the demonstration label on the 1924 results. That means the first official gold medals for curling went to two teams from England and two silver medals went to teams from Sweden, while France earned a bronze.
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