Welcome to your go-to information to the 2026 Winter Olympics. We’re monitoring every thing—from real-life heated rivalries (sure, they exist) to under-the-radar sports activities and shock standouts—so you may compensate for all of our protection in a single place.
If you happen to’ve come throughout a curling match through the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, you have been in all probability at the very least just a little intrigued. It might appear to be a sleepy exercise, devoid of any motion or pleasure, however assume once more. Curling is a difficult sport, and that’s the reason there’s an alleged dishonest scandal stirring up controversy on the Winter Video games.
Curling is commonly thought of extra of a “sluggish” winter occasion, particularly when in comparison with different ones that contain velocity, flips, leaps, tumbles, and catching a complete lot of air. Nevertheless, what this sport lacks in dazzling feats, it makes up for with ability and suspense. Nonetheless, to the untrained eye, recognizing the motion isn’t all the time apparent. That’s one purpose it’s possible you’ll hear folks poke enjoyable on the sport, joking that the livid ice-sweeping appears extra like housecleaning than an athletic occasion.
However curling deserves respect: In any case, with origins within the sixteenth century, it’s one of many oldest staff sports activities on this planet. And when you be taught extra about it, together with why it’s known as curling, the way it’s gained, and what the gamers are actually yelling about, you’ll notice this sport could be chock-full of pleasure too.
What’s curling and when did it grow to be an Olympic sport?
Curling is a staff sport—made up of 4 gamers on every single-gendered staff, or groups of two in combined doubles—that takes place on ice. Gamers are outfitted with their very own brush in addition to particular dual-soled footwear, which permit them to both slide on the ice or grip the ice.
The purpose of curling is to slip 44-pound granite stones towards a goal, generally known as a home, within the middle of the ice. To assist the granite stones get to their goal, gamers on the staff are allowed to start out sweeping the ice after it’s thrown. This helps clear away particles that may sluggish the stone down or mess with its path; sweeping additionally barely melts the ice, which makes the stone transfer quicker.
In response to the Smithsonian, curling will get its title from how the stone turns (or curls) on the finish of its path on the ice.
Curling made its Olympic debut on the first-ever Winter Video games in Chamonix, France, in 1924. Nevertheless, the game didn’t seem on the Olympic program once more till the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. The ladies’s sport made its Olympic debut in 1998, and combined doubles have been added to this system on the 2018 PyeongChang Video games.
How do you win at curling?
Curling is often performed over 10 ends or rounds. In four-person curling, every staff takes turns throwing eight stones every spherical. The groups alternate throws, and 16 stones whole are thrown every spherical. The lead throws the primary two rocks, the second throws the second two rocks, the third throws the third two, and the skip, or the captain, throws the final two.
