AttheOlympicWinterGames,curlingconsistsoftwoevents:awomen’stournamentandamen’stournament.Eachtournamentstartswith10curlingteams.Twoteamsplayagainsteachotheratatime.Thegameisplayedonice,andthetwoteamstaketurnspushing19.1-kilogramstonestowardsaseriesofconcentricringsorcircles.Theobjectistogetthestonesasclosetothecentreoftheringsaspossible.

　　Onegameconsistsof10“ends”(similartoinningsinbaseball).Duringeachend,eachfour-personteam“throws”(infact,slidesalongtheice)eightstones—twostonesperpersonand16altogether.Teammemberssweeptheicecleaninfrontofeachstonetocontrolthestone’sdirection,knownasits“curl,”andthestone’sspeed.Theteamwiththemostpoints—morestonesclosertothecentreoftherings—attheconclusionof10ends,isthewinner.