History of Curling
Paintings from the 16th century Flemish artist, Pieter Bruegel (1530-1569) portrayed a game similar to curling being played on frozen ponds. The first evidence was written and appeared in Latin, in 1540, John McQuhin, a notary in Paisley, Scotland, recorded in his book a challenge between John Sclater, a monk in Paisley Abbey and Gavin Hamilton, a representative of the Abbot. The report demonstrated that Sclater threw a stone along the ice three times and asserted that he was ready for the agreed contest.
The first curling clubs were formed in Scotland, and during the 19th century the game was exported wherever Scots settled around the world in cold climates, most probably at that time in Canada, United States, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and New Zealand.
First Competition
It is been recorded that the international curling competition were arranged in the 19th century in Europe and North America, but it wasn’t started until the first Olympic Winter Games in 1924, in Chamonix, France that any form of official international competition took place for men’s teams. Britain defeated Sweden and France in what was officially accepted in 2006 by the International Olympic Committee as curling’s Olympic debut, with medals awarded.
Curling was a demonstration sport for second and third times at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games (Calgary) and the 1992 Games (Albertville) for women’s and men’s teams.
Other international events introduced in 2002 included World Senior Curling Championships for women and men.
How Curling game played
Curling is a team game played by two teams of four players on each team. There are key tasks for each player and the idea of the game depends on pushing a smooth rotated rock with a base on a square of polished ice towards a multi-center circular area in order to make it settle in the center of the circle. The first player, the leader, is called The lead, the first player from the opposition team, the second player and the third player rotated from the teams. The team chiefs aim at the last. Each time the first team puts the smooth rotated rock near the position, the next player from the opposition team tries to keep the smooth rock from the position and the player tries to close the smooth rock that he aims from the position with the same strike. Points in each half shall be calculated according to the number of balls closer to the main position. There shall be no judgement in the game to decide which balls are closer to the center but the different colors of the rings drawn in the target circle.
In each half, points are calculated for only one team depending on the number of smooth rotated rocks near the center, where one point is calculated for each rock closer to the center than the opposing team rock. The team that scores points in the first half makes the first goal in the second half and there are 10 runs per game.
Curling Playground
The Curling playground is 44.5 meters long, 4.3 meters wide and 1.2 meters thick. At the end of the square track there is the main circular target of the shape and radius of 3.7 cm called House and inside the house there are 3 circular rings of different colors and the center of each ring is called Tee. The distance from the aiming point to the outer ring of the house is 10.1 meters. The smooth rock, which is aimed at 19kg, has a hand handle, and athletes wear rubber boots. When a player aims, two players from the same team use a brush to direct the disc for a purpose.
For more information please visit https://worldcurling.org/about/history/
