The images of house cleaning come into my mind when watching this :P
Curling is a big game in Winter Olympic. The attracting points of the game is to watch the polished granite stones rushing and how sweeper make them stop right in the circular target marked on the ice.
Here comes the question: why the curlers need to sweep? It may be easy to understand that they are helping the stones moving to the right direction. But how?
AP Photo
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The curler can induce a curved path by causing the stone to slowly turn as it slides, and the path of the rock may be further influenced by two sweepers with brooms who accompany it as it slides down the sheet, using the brooms to alter the state of the ice in front of the stone. Sweeping a rock makes it curl less, and decreases the friction that slows the rock down.
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Getty Images
A great deal of strategy and teamwork go into choosing the ideal path and placement of a stone for each situation, and the skills of the curlers determine the degree to which the stone will achieve the desired result. This
Curling is a sport that requires not only strength but also wisdom, which gives it a nickname of "chess on ice".
AP Photo
The broom used on the ice rink looks similar to those used in our daily housework. But the sport broom is more high-quality. It is generally made of synthetic bristles or horse bristles, worth about $2,000, which is equivalent to about 50 household brooms.
HARBIN, China (AP) — The Philippines curling team has been rocking it in Harbin, claiming the tropical country’s first Asian Winter Games medal with a victory in Friday’s men’s final against South Korea.
The team of Marc Pfister, Alan Frei, Christian Haller, Enrico Pfister and alternate Benjo Delarmente took gold with a 5-3 win at Harbin Pingfang Curling Arena.
The Philippines Olympic Committee was quick to celebrate with a post on Instagram to mark the historic gold.
“This is the first-ever medal for the Philippines at the Asian Winter Games, and the highest achievement for a Southeast Asian athlete in the Games’ history! What an incredible accomplishment!” the post said. “You’ve made the entire country so proud!”
Curling gets its time to shine every four years at the Winter Olympics, where players sweeping a stone across the ice rink is screened around the world.
The Philippines was accepted a member association of the World Curling Federation in September, 2023 — along with Pakistan and Puerto Rico — and started a bid to qualify for the 2026 Olympics.
The men's team is based in Switzerland and skipped by Marc Pfister, who represented the Swiss at three world championships before switching countries.
He and his brother, Enrico Pfister, are among the four curlers who were born in Switzerland and are eligible to play for the Philippines through their Filipino mothers.
Teams from 34 countries stretching from Saudi Arabia in the west of the continent to Singapore and Philippines in the southeast, competed in 10 sports across 11 days at the Harbin Games that were due to finish Friday.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
South Korea's Lee Jaebeom, center, plays against Philippines during the finals of men's curling at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Philippines' Alan Frei, right, and Christian Haller compete against South Korea during the finals of men's curling at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Philippines' Christian Haller, left, and Alan Frei compete against South Korea during the finals of men's curling at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Philippines Marc Pfister compete against South Korea during the finals of men's curling at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
