This was published 12 years ago
Sochi Winter Sports: Curling
Fast fact:
After being played at the first ever Winter Olympics, in 1924, curling did not appear at the Games again until 1998.
Fast fact:
The sport orginated on frozen ponds in medieval Scotland, with today’s competitors sending a large 19.96kg granite stone down a 45-metre marked sheet of ice as their teammates sweep their path.
Fast fact:
The object of sweeping is to create a thin film of moisture between the stone and the ice to act as a lubricant. This makes the stone travel faster and makes it less likely to deviate from a straight line or “curl”.
Venue:
The 3,000-seat Ice Cube Curling Centre is the smallest venue in Sochi's Olympic Park.
Olympic legend:
Anette Norberg led the Swedish team to Olympic gold in 2006 and 2010, becoming the first skip to successfully defend the Olympic title.
