Well, after a couple of weeks action, we have a medal now as the GB mens curling team get to the final of the team curling event. It is a very moorish sport to watch, I enjoyed the tactics immensely today.
And GB women are in the semis, after winning a last ditch match today and then having all the results fall their way to allow them to get through on count back rules.
I think I am correct, the women play Sweden tomorrow as do the men in their final on Saturday.
Elsewhere, we have a womens and mens finalist in the halfpipe freestyle skiing, the woman (Zoe Atkin?) has a chance of a medal; and we have the mens 4 man bobsleigh as well to go although our sliding teams seem to have struggled this Olympics.
But well done to the curlers for getting us on the medal board at last!!!
I've hardly got into or watched any of these Olympics, which is very unlikely me for such an event. I think it is a kind of subconscious protest at the Peng Shuai business ( re China and Thomas Bach, the appeasing IOC President ) plus the presence of the err Russian Olympic Committee.
I suspect my self denial should help change the world.
Anyway, I do need though to watch some chucking and sweeping. Great that the women's team have battled into the SF after earlier looking just about dead and buried. I would love to see skip Eve Muirhead win gold to add to her Sochi 2014 bronze and various World Championship medals ( one gold ) in this her 4th Olympics at the ripe old age of 31.
It doesn't help that the morning and afternoon sessions are in the middle of the night and there are no crowds.
I played curling for 15+years and only stopped when covid hit (but mainly because the rink was not decent enough). The quality of the men's competition is terrific. Unless you have actually played, you don't know how difficult it is to play all these difficult shots that they make look easy.
The men are in terrific form and should be favourites - they play Sat lunchtime
The Women's levels are not quite as high and there is no standout team. The semi finals are wide open. GB ladies play tomorrow lunchtime.
It doesn't help that the morning and afternoon sessions are in the middle of the night and there are no crowds.
I played curling for 15+years and only stopped when covid hit (but mainly because the rink was not decent enough). The quality of the men's competition is terrific. Unless you have actually played, you don't know how difficult it is to play all these difficult shots that they make look easy. The men are in terrific form and should be favourites - they play Sat lunchtime
The Women's levels are not quite as high and there is no standout team. The semi finals are wide open. GB ladies play tomorrow lunchtime.
I hadnt realised there is a big professional tour, largely in Canada but going across many countries , and with decent money. The top guys can make a very good living. Presumably, therefore, the British fours are both well established teams on the tour , playing similarly well known teams?
Yes, having followed the biggest curling events to various degrees over the years, without ever having picked up a stone, let alone played, I imagine that it is indeed a very difficult and skilled sport
It is a sport that at one time I did want to try but never got round to it. In the early 90s I used to work in the same department as a girl who was a top curler and was to go on to be one of our Olympic Gold Medal team in 2002. I would imagine that it has developed a great deal professionally since these days.
I've not watched a thing, and normally I follow the Olympics like a hawk.
For me the Olympics have become a really difficult event, the doping and politics have sucked a lot of the enjoyment out of it for me and curling can't make up for that.
Incredibly sad to read about Valieva's situation and also to hear about CJ Ujahs verdict.
I'm beginning to wonder how we address doping in sport , because drug testing isn't really working out is it.
Totally disenfranchised by the concept of a 15 year old failing a drugs test, I have watched only one sport at the Olympics. Surely there can be no doping in Curling unless its related to Mullet growth and the prevention of male pattern balding. I have loved every moment of it particularly the contrast between the extrovert Americans & cool calm calculating Brits (aka dour Scots) in the mens semi final. Do I spend hours in the car in search of PL football this Saturday or settle down to some early morning curling? Time to hit the road I am certain the Scots lads have Bromide in their tea!
Yes, having followed the biggest curling events to various degrees over the years, without ever having picked up a stone, let alone played, I imagine that it is indeed a very difficult and skilled sport
It is a sport that at one time I did want to try but never got round to it. In the early 90s I used to work in the same department as a girl who was a top curler and was to go on to be one of our Olympic Gold Medal team in 2002. I would imagine that it has developed a great deal professionally since these days.
BBC Scotland has a documentary on the 2002 ladies team: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0bld82n/the-last-stone (sorry I don't know how to post it as a link).
Well done to both 2022 teams and good luck to the women for the final.
I saw the mens and it was nail biting - I have no clue but it felt like Sweden always just had the edge though.
I see that the womens world championships are in 3 weeks time in Canada , mid March; the mens is in Las Vegas in early April. And the mixed in Geneva in late April. Scotland are in the womens but I couldnt find a list for the mens or mixed teams. But it looks like Scotland hadnt picked its womens squad yet, not sure how that selection process works?
I didnt stay up but was pleased to read it just now. Amazing after they had a re selection process for their team after a poor world championships, then won the Europeans, a last ditch final qualifier before the Olympics, just to be here, then their progress here was by tooth and nail. Fighters !
