2010 Olympic Games: Curling By: Lisa Feldman

Terms Used Hogged: When a rock is removed from play. Delivery: The sliding of the rock. End: One round of all the players sliding their rocks. Burning: Touching a stone that is in play. Hammer: The last stone to be thrown. Blank End: Avoiding scoring to keep the hammer for the next round. Stealing: Scoring without the hammer. Tee: The inner circle of the target (ultimate objective.)

How It’s Played There are 2 teams of 4 players. Players take turns sliding 2 heavy rocks (per player) across a large, rectangular piece of ice. Players try to slide the stone and make it onto the inner circle of the target at the other end. Two other players follow the rock to sweep it’s path so that nothing gets in its way.

How It’s Played At the end of each round (when all eight players have thrown their 2 stones) the score is added up. The team with the least amount of points earns the hammer for the next end. The game goes 10 ends. If there is a tie at the end of the game, more ends are played until someone wins or a team forfeits.

Equipment Needed The Broom –Also called the “Brush” –Used to sweep the ice surface in front of the stone. –Melts the ice for smooth and straight movement. –Cleans debris that would affects movement of the stone.

Equipment Needed Curling Stone –Circular in shape with a handle and bolt attached. –Maximum circumference of 36 inches. –Minimum height of 4.5 inches. –Handle allows stone to be gripped and rotated upon release.

Equipment Needed Shoes –Have a slider on the bottom that creates friction so the player doesn’t slide on the ice. –Mostly made of leather and vinyl.

How It’s Won The score is counted after each end. Only stones partially or completely within the outer ring of the target can be scored. The team with a stone closest to the tee wins that end and gets 1 point for each stone that is closer to the center than any of the opposing teams.

Training For The Olympics Most athletes compete every other weekend in the off- season. They practice 1-2 times a week with their team. There is individual training with a coach, which happens 5-6 times a week, to practice technique and the directional control of the stone. Players also lift weights daily and throw up to 100 rocks a day to stay in shape.

Participants Men’s –Canada –China –Denmark –France –Germany –Great Britain –Norway –Sweden –Switzerland –United States Women’s –Canada –China –Denmark –Germany –Great Britain –Japan –Russia –Sweden –Switzerland –United States

Participants Some of the players from Team USA include: –Men’s John Benton and John Shuster –Women’s Allison Pottinger, Nick Joraanstad, and Debbie McCormack

Who To Watch For Americans John Shuster and Debbie McCormack China’s Wang Bingyu (women’s) Scotland’s David Murdoch Norway’s Thomas Ulsruyd

Expected to Win Men’s: –Canada –Great Britain –Germany Women’s: –Canada –China –Denmark

Winners! Gold Medal: Silver Medal: Bronze Medal: Upsets:

Bibliography "Curling." Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Web. 11 Jan "Curling." Wikipedia. Web. 11 Jan Kissell, Joe. "Curling." Interesting Thing of the Day. 30 June Web. 11 Jan "Curling at the 2010 Winter Olympics." Wikipedia. Web. 11 Jan