The Winter Olympics are something almost every sports fan watches. Even non-sports fans watch the major international multi-sport event that is held every four years. 

There are currently 15 sports in the Winter Olympics, but one stands atop of them all: Curling, the BEST Olympic sport.

Curling

Curling, also known as Chess on Ice and The Roaring Game, is a sport that features over 1,500,000 registered players. Players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four circles. Just think of shuffleboard, but on ice. 

However, unlike shuffleboard, much more skill is needed. Players use curling brooms to sweep the ice to help the stone travel farther and straighter. Curling players are very strategic in how much sweeping they perform. 

Curling scoring goes as follows: The team with the most stones closest to the bullseye (no pun intended) is awarded points. The winner is the team with the most points at the completion of 10 ends, or 10 games.

Fun Facts

• A sheet of curling ice (curling rink) is 145 to 150 feet in length by 14.2 to 15.7 feet in width.
• The average age of curlers in the United States is 33.9 years old. The oldest curler in America is Ann Swisshelm (45) and the youngest is Jared Zezel (22).
• Players yell ¨clean¨ in curling. This means to place the curling broom (or brush) on the ice without applying pressure. This will clear the ice, making the stone glide easier.
• Curling has been in the Winter Olympics since 1924. 
• Curling is mixed, meaning that different genders can play together. 
• Curling also takes place in the Paralympics.
• Curling is the most televised women’s sport in Canada.
• The origin of curling traces back to Scotland in the 16th century. This makes it one of the oldest team sports in the world. 

Other Winter Olympic Sports You Can Watch

• Ice Hockey
• Alpine Skiing
• Biathlon
• Bobsleigh
• Cross-Country skiing
• Figure skating
• Freestyle skiing
• Luge
• Nordic combined
• Short track speed skating
• Skeleton
• Ski jumping
• Snowboard
• Speed skating  

The 2022 Winter Olympics, which will take place in Beijing, will take place on February 4th. We expect y’all to be watching curling, the BEST Olympic sport!