Curling is a sport in which players move stones across an ice sheet toward a four-circle target area. Bowls, boules, and shuffleboard are all linked to this game. Two teams of four players alternate sliding large, polished granite boulders, also known as stones, over the ice curling sheet in the direction of the house, a circular target marked on the ice. Each participant throws two stones, and each team has eight stones.
The goal of the game is to get the greatest score possible; points are awarded for stones that are closest to the center of the house at the end of each end, which is finished after both teams have thrown all of their stones. Eight or 10 ends are typical in a game. Curling was featured in the schedule of the first Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix in 1924, however, the IOC would not recognize the results of that tournament until 2006.
For the 1998 Nagano Games, the sport was finally included in the official schedule. Men's and women's competitions were held separately until 2018. Curling contests will be held every day of the games, from February 2 to February 20. Curling will appear on the Olympic schedule for the sixth time. There will be eleven countries competing in the men's, women's, and mixed doubles events.
What are curling stones made of?
Granite is being used for the curling stone. The running surface, a small, flat annulus or ring, is the only section of the stone that comes into contact with the ice. The granite for the stones is sourced from two locations: Ailsa Craig, a Scottish island off the coast of Ayrshire, and the Trefor Granite Quarry in Wales.
Blue Hone and Ailsa Craig Common Green are the two varieties of granite produced by Ailsa Craig, which is the traditional source. Blue Hone has a low water absorption rate, preventing the stone from being eroded by the action of continually freezing water. Common Green granite from Ailsa Craig is of lower grade than Blue Hone granite. Most curling stones used to be made of Blue Hone, but the island is now a wildlife refuge, and blasting is prohibited due to environmental concerns.
A bolt runs vertically through a hole in the center of the stone and connects a handle to it. The handle allows the stone to be held and turned upon release; on correctly prepared ice, the rotation bends (curls) the stone's path in the direction that the front edge is rotating, especially as the stone slows. Handles are colored to distinguish each team, with red and yellow being two of the most prevalent colors in big events.
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How heavy is a curling stone?
Great Britain at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
A curling stone does not have a specific weight. Instead, it has a maximum and lowest weight range within which it must fall. Each curling stone must be no more than 44 lbs (19.96 kg) and no less than 38 lbs (17.24 kg), according to the official USA Curling regulation.
The handle and bolt on top of the stone add to the weight. Each stone must have a circle of no more than 36 inches (91.44 cm) and a height of no more than 4.5 inches (11.43 cm).
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2022 Beijing Winter Olympics: Complete list of Winter Olympic Games sports
