By CGTN's Damion Jones, Mu Dan
Curling is one of the most strategic and fascinating of winter sports, but it still remains a mystery to millions. CGTN's Sport's Scene program has put together a quick guide to explain the beautiful competition on ice:
Each team, also known as a rink, has four members. Those are the lead, the second, the third (also called the vice), and the skip, the team's captain.
The lead throws the 'stone' most of the time, while the skip throws the last 'stone' of the game, draws up his rink's strategy, and tells the others (the second and third) when to sweep. Oh yeah. Why the sweeping? That's to reduce friction, help change the stone's trajectory, and clean away debris like frozen water droplets. The motion helps guide the rocks into the spot the person who throws it is aiming for. Knowing when and how to sweep is the most basic technical aspect of curling.
Wang Rui and Liu Jinli sweeping the ice in the game agaisnt Scotland. /CFP Photo
For the delivering team, a stone must be clearly released from the hand before it reaches the hog line at the delivery end. If the player fails to do so, the stone is immediately removed from play by the delivering team. During the process of delivery the non-delivering team players should take stationary positions along the side lines between the courtesy lines.
Unless predetermined, or decided by the Last Stone Draw, the teams opposing each other in a game shall use a coin toss to determine which team delivers the first stone in the first end. This order of play shall be maintained until one team scores, after which the team that most recently scored delivers the first stone in any subsequent end.
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