The 2022 Winter Olympics have begun, and that means two things. First, clips of Olympic figure skating will be shared endlessly across social media as viewers watch in awe, and second, the relentless mocking of Olympic curling will begin. When brought up in conversation regarding the Olympics, curling typically incites a scoff and the question, “why is that even a sport?” Not just that, but the fact that curling holds its place as a recurring Olympic sport is laughable to many. Even though curling bears a questionable reputation, it certainly should be an Olympic sport.
Curling gets a bad rap because many people do not know what the sport actually entails. It is a game that requires incredible focus, an immense amount of skill and relies heavily on verbal and nonverbal communication during matches. Yes, the game sounds quite complicated, but the object of the game is much simpler. According to the World Curling Federation, curling involves two teams sliding 40-pound granite stones towards their respective targets, known as houses. To score a point, the stone must be inside or touching the house. The team with the stone closest to the center of its respective house gets the point. Each game consists of 10 rounds, or in curling terms, “ends,” which can last up to three hours.
The sweeping part occurs from teammates gliding down the lane between the two tee marks. Once past the second tee line, one designated opponent and one specific teammate are allowed to brush the ice in front of moving stones near the target. According to Eric Mullin of NBC Sports, the broom melts the ice in front of a moving stone so the stone’s path is impacted. Curling requires a special kind of ice rink containing pebbled ice for the sweeping element. This specific kind of ice along with rapid sweeping causes the ice to melt and makes for a more slippery surface for the stone to glide on. This aspect of the game allows the opposing team to impact how far their opponent’s stones travel. Clearly, curling requires an immense amount of strategy which differs from those of other Olympic sports, but is just as difficult to master.
Even though the sport is not popularized in the U.S., curling holds its place as one of the 15 sports featured at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Curling’s legitimacy as an Olympic sport comes from the amount of athletic ability, skill and focus which is required from players. According to Marissa Payne of The Washington Post, curling demands a particular type of athleticism different from the athletes of many other sports. Did you know sweepers walk up to five miles a day during competition? On top of stamina, skills such as balance and coordination are very underrated and challenging aspects of the game which many fail to realize exist. Players must accurately send 40-pound stones while lunging down a sheet of ice. That by itself is a feat. Successful curlers must be sharp in not only their sweeping, but also in their thinking when communicating with teammates. Players typically yell at one another to signal the other during gameplay. It requires all of the energy a person can possibly muster to maintain physical coordination, think strategically and engage in teamwork for over two hours at a time.
The typical mocking of curling should end. The game takes intense practice and skill just like any other Olympic sport, so it deserves the respect which every other one receives. Not to mention, the U.S. won the gold for its curling men’s team in the 2018 Olympics, according to Bill Chappell for NPR. For that reason, we should all look forward to watching and cheering on curling at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.