15 Surprising Facts about Curling

Did you watch any curling during the Winter Olympics? The chances are you did, as it was on almost every single day during the Games, and while Great Britain didn’t win any medals they were in the running.

Here are 15 surprising facts about curling you may not know…

1. Curling is known as ‘the roaring game’ because of the rumbling sound the granite stones make when they slide across the ice.
2. The game dates back to 16^th Century Scotland and was played on frozen ponds and lochs when no farming could be done
3. All the curling stones used at the Pyeongchang Winter Games were made from granite mined from the uninhabited island of Ailsa Craig, in the outer Firth of Clyde.
4. The granite was then worked into the final stones by staff at Kays Curling in Mauchline, Scotland.
5. Two types of granite are used for the stones, Ailsa Craig Blue Hone and Ailsa Craig Common Green.
6. Kays has been producing top-level curling stones for more than a century and is currently producing more stones than ever – at a rate of approximately 37 per week
7. In 1998, when curling was first given medal status at the Winter Olympics, 36 countries played the sport; today, there are 54 countries competing globally.
8. Each team plays 8 stones and the winner is the team with the stone nearest to the centre.
9. In Sochi 2014, the Great Britain men’s team won the Silver medal, losing the gold medal match to Canada 9-3, while the women’s team won the Bronze medal, beating Switzerland 6-5.
10. When Great Britain won gold in 2010 at Vancouver 5.7 million people watched the final live on the BBC.
11. Eve Muirhead is the youngest team captain (known as a ‘skip) to win an Olympics curling medal. She was 23 years old at Sochi 2014. She is also a talented bag-piper and golfer (playing off a handicap of 3).
12. The men’s team at PyeongChang 2018 included Eve Muirhead’s two brothers, Thomas and Glen. The team also includes another set of brothers: Kyle and Cammy Smith.
13. The bronze won in the mixed doubles curling at Pyeongchang 2018 was taken away from from Alexander Krushelnitsky after he subsequently tested positive for the banned drug meldonium.
14. An episode of ‘The Simpsons’ once featured curling: “Marge, this is perfect for both of us: it’s got bowling for me, and sweeping for you!”

15. Surprisingly curlers can also get injured. Figures from 2010 show curling injuries sustained included arm strains and tendonitis of the arms, lower back and thigh. So make sure you warm up first!

We might not have won any medals this time round, but go Team GB for Beijing 2022…!