Two teams, eight stones and ten ends: all you need to know about curling, one of the most anticipated sports at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games
This team sport played on ice is rooted in Scottish tradition and practised with the help of the so-called "stones", heavy granite stones with a special grip. Curling - from the verb "to curl", which means "to move in a spiral" - has experienced a new glory in recent years and aims to attract the affection of spectators at Milano Cortina 2026 as well. That funny way of tilting the body, the lucid madness of constantly sweeping the ice, and even that strange spherical object that acts as a bowl, are the reasons that played a part in bringing it back into the limelight. Curling is based on the particular effect with which stones are thrown onto the ice surface to make them follow a curved trajectory. Little known in Italy until a few decades ago, today it is an increasingly popular sport.
From the 16th Century to the Olympics
The first records of curling date back to the 16th century in Scotland, but the discipline quickly spread to other European Countries such as the Netherlands, and then to North America, especially Canada. Today, it is practised on all continents. The first world championship was held in 1959 in Falkirk and Edinburgh, after curling had been included in the programme of the Winter Games Chamonix 1924. At Lake Placid 1932, at Calgary 1988 and at Albertville 1992, it was present for demonstration purposes. Its definitive reintroduction into the Olympic programme came at Nagano 1998, with the men's and women's event, and the mixed doubles event was introduced at Pyeongchang 2018.
The Rules of Curling
In curling, there are ten "ends", or rounds, in which each team has eight stones at its disposal: the aim of the game is to place one or more stone close to the centre of the "house", marked by concentric circles on the ice field, and thus score one or more points for each end. A mechanism remotely reminiscent of the game of bowls. Victory is awarded to the team that has scored the most points at the end of the match, with an extra end in the event of a tie. In mixed doubles, there are only eight ends and each team can throw five stones in each round.
Curling Equipment
The curling rink must be between 44.5 and 45.72 metres long and between 4.42 and 4.75 metres wide. Stones are granite discs weighing between 17 and 20 kilos, with a handle attached to the top. Typical curling brooms are used to sweep the ice surface along the path of the stone to facilitate its sliding. Players wear special shoes with two types of soles, one made of Teflon that favours slipping and the other which has more grip.
Curling: Who Won the Most Medals and How It Went in Beijing 2022
The first (male) national team to win the gold medal in curling at Chamonix 1924 was Great Britain, ahead of Sweden and France. After a long break, curling again awarded medals in the Nagano 1998 edition, where the women's tournament also made its début. Canada with three golds (2006, 2010 and 2014) leads the men's tournament roll of honour, followed by Switzerland, Norway, the United States, Great Britain and Sweden, winner of the last edition in Beijing. In the women's field, Sweden leads with three golds, ahead of Canada and Great Britain with two. In mixed doubles, Canada won the 2018 edition, while in Beijing, four years later, the Italian couple made up by Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner triumphed.
Curling in Milano Cortina 2026
The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 programme will include the men's, women's and mixed doubles tournaments. Each team consists of four players plus a reserve, with the exception of mixed doubles where there are two players, one man and one woman. Each tournament involves ten teams competing in an Italian round, at the end of which the top four teams move on to the semi-finals and then the finals for bronze and gold. All three Olympic curling tournaments will be held in the Cortina Olympic Stadium, also known as the Cortina Ice Stadium: a facility already used for the 1956 Olympic Winter Olympics, and now completely renovated.
Stay tuned for real-time news on the run-up to Milano Cortina 2026 via tickets.milanocortina2026.org.
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