Curling has been called the "Roaring Game," referring to the roar of a 42 to 44 lb. granite stone traveling over finely manicured ice. The World Curling Federation notes that curling started as an enjoyable pastime of throwing stones over frozen waters during the harsh winters of northern Europe. The first recognized curling sport clubs were formed in Scotland in the 1800s. The game expanded during the 19th century as Scottish and other European settlers moved around the world. Curling has since evolved into a popular modern sport with its own world championships and Olympic presence.
Sport Evolution
According to the World Curling Federation, the first official rules of curling originated in Scotland in 1838. They were intended to formalize the game and were accepted by the Grand Caledonian Curling Club, which later became known as the Royal Caledonian Curling Club. Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand and the United States are some of the countries where the sport has become competitively organized. National and international curling competitions now take place on indoor rinks with the condition of the ice carefully controlled. Another 20th century development included the standardization of the granite stones and the addition of the handles on the stone.
Olympic History
According to Olympic.org, curling made its Olympic debut at the Chamonix Winter Games in 1924. It was then dropped but eventually brought back as a demonstration sport during the 1932, 1988 and 1992 Winter Games for teams of men and women. In 1992, the International Olympic Committee, IOC, officially granted medal status to curling, which was to take effect no later than the Winter Games of 2002. The IOC Executive Board of the 1998 games agreed to include curling in the 1998 games. Curling has continued to appear in all subsequent Winter Games, including men's and women's teams.
Medal Winners
Since the 1924 debut of curling, five men's teams have captured gold medals. According to Olympic.org, Great Britain won the gold at the 1924 Olympics, Switzerland took it in 1998, Norway won gold in 2002 gold, and Canada leads the pack with wins in both 2006 and 2010. Women's curling teams did not appear until the 1998 games, where Canada took the gold. Great Britain women's team won in 2002, and Switzerland took gold medals in the 2006 and 2010 games.
How To Play
Curling teams are made up of four players. During play, the captain, or skip, of the team stands on the far end of the ice, also called the sheet. He directs the strategy of the game. One of his teammates then pushes one of the team's eight stones, aiming for the placement that the skip has pointed out. The other two players help direct the path by sweeping the ice in front of the stone. The sweeping clears the path of any debris and slightly warms the ice so that the stone can travel farther. After that team's stone comes to a rest, the other team gets its turn. Play alternates until both teams have delivered two rocks. Once both rocks have been delivered by both teams, the pushers move to the other end of the sheet for the next round. The object of the game is to have your team's stones rest as close to the center of the target, or house, as possible. In the Olympics, a total of 10 rounds, or ends, are played. At the 2006 and 2010 games, 10 winning teams from the world curling championships played in a round-robin tournament. The top four teams from the round-robin advanced to the semi-finals. The losing teams in the semi-finals played for the bronze, while the winners advanced to the gold medal match-up.
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