By CGTN's Damion Jones, Mu Dan
With the 2017 Women's World Curling Championships currently taking place in Beijing, CGTN brings you a short history of the sport for those who might be unfamiliar with its origins.
Curling was invented in Scotland in the Middle Ages, and the oldest stone found by historians has the year 1511 chiseled into it.
Scottish immigrants later took the activity to Canada, where it is now one of that nation's most popular sports. Other hotbeds include Norway, Sweden, Russia, and Switzerland.
People play curling in its early days. /World Curling Federation Photo
It is recorded that international curling events were staged in the 19th century in Europe and North America, but it was not until the first Olympic Winter Games in 1924, in Chamonix, France that any form of official international competition took place for men’s teams.
Great Britain defeated Sweden and France in what was retroactively accepted in 2006 by the International Olympic Committee as curling’s Olympic debut, with medals awarded.
Chinese women's curling team plays against Team USA in 2017 women’s world championship. /CFP photo
Another country which has come down with "curling fever" in recent years is China.
The women's national team won the World Championship in 2009, and this year marks the country's second time hosting a World Championship, as the men's finals were held in the capital in 2014.
With the ladies chilling on the ice for the past week-plus, organizers hope the sport's popularity keeps trending up, as they look ahead to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
