Kerling
Curling is the only Olympic sport in which athletes wear different shoes – the sole of the left shoe is made of nylon gliding on ice, and the right shoe is made of rubber (on the left-handed side, vice versa). Also included is a rubber overshoe.
Scotland is considered to be the birthplace of curling, because of the discovery of a stone with the engraving “Sterling 1511” there. This game has many other names – “Playing Roaring Stones”, “Rocks on Ice”, etc. The first organization for curling lovers also originated in Scotland, it was the association of the city of Kilseet in 1716. Only from the 18th century were the main rules systematized, some of which are used today. For example, the shape of the stone and its size. The first men’s world championship was held in 1959, and only 20 years later the women’s championship took place. Curling has been included in the program of the Olympic Games since 1998.
At the end of the XIX century there are clubs for curling and in the Russian Empire (in Moscow and St. Petersburg). But the present development of this sport in our country was only in the last 2 decades on the initiative of Zadvorny and Filimonov. In 1992, the first Russian curling championship was held. In recent years, our teams are increasingly taking top places in world-class competitions. For example, in 2011, at the World Championship for Mixed Pairs, Russians Alexei Tselousov and Alina Kovaleva won silver or in 2012 for the World Wheelchair Curling Championship, our team won gold.
During the end (part of the match, usually 1/10), 4 people from each team – skip, vice-skip, first and second (roles) – go to the field (44.5×4.32 m) with a target (diameter 3.66 m). are distributed in turn). Skips from both teams alternately release 8 stones (produced only from 2 types of granite, weight is almost 20 kg, diameter is almost 30 cm), while two players rub ice to remove ice chips and increase the slip of the stone. Wins the team whose stones are closest to the center of the target.
When playing curling, a large amount of energy is wasted (although it is difficult to believe it, looking from the side). Also this sport helps to develop accuracy, dexterity and teach how to work in a team.
