Reading "Sport"

Curling, born in Scotland in the first half of the 16th century, was played in frozen ponds using simple stones. It’s known since 1511. Examples of this sport can also be found in the paintings of Flemish artists. In the 17th century players started to use suitably treated stone discs and sticks to sweep the snow. Since 1775 the game has become popular in Northern America, where it was introduces by immigrants.

The first Olympic Winter Games curling tournament was held at Chamonix in 1924. After Lake Placid in 1932, curling was absent from the Olympic programme for 50 years; it appeared again as a demonstrative at Calgary in 1988. It was reinstated as a competitive discipline at Nagano in 1998. That year the men’s event was won by the Swiss team and Canada won the gold in the women’s.

Curling is a team game that is performed on a frozen pitch, the concept of which is very similar to bocce (traditionally played balls on natural soil or asphalt courts). It consists of sliding 19.92 kg blocks of stone (called rocks) which have a handle so that they stop as close as possible to the centre of a target drawn on the ice (called the house).

Each team consists of four players. The lead is the one that makes the first throw. The second is a good point maker, but also good at taking off the opponents stones that are in the way. The third is faced with a more tricky game. The fourth player, the skip, is the most experienced player, who devises tactics, advises his teammates on each throw and throws last.