Comments on: Waarom is curling een olympische sport?

By: Rebecca Alejandres

Rebecca Alejandres — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 02:35:09 +0000

Waarom? Waarom niet?? Curling is een olympische sport. Het is heel interessant en luek. Ik ben blij dat Nederland het aannemen van dit als een sport net als voetbal.

Curling is just as interesting to watch and play. It may not be as “intense” as the other winter sports but it’s still a great game.

By: Villa te koop Moraira

Villa te koop Moraira — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 15:33:03 +0000

Good evening,

In fact this was a good read, I am really glad that curling is being very popular in Netherlands and that is a good thing

Thanks

Katie

By: TimS

TimS — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:58:04 +0000

Most has already been said, but if you really want proof about how wrong you really are about this being a sport for old folks only, take a look at the Olympic teams for Great Britain and Germany, both of which have team members younger than 20 years of age… I haven’t even looked into the age of any other the other participants, but I’m sure that, if you look carefully, you’ll see there are more countries with young curlers, participating at the highest level of competition (even our own dutch women’s team)…

As a new curler, trying it out once (and 20 years ago at that, when the sport was still petty much in its infancy in the Netherlands), you shouldn’t expect to fully grasp how intense a sport this can be. It can actually be quite demanding, physically and mentally, to compete at the top. Perhaps as a recreational game, it doesn’t seem exhausting, but then is skating? Is skiing? If done only for recreational purposes, those are really not much of a sport either. Just like taking a walk in the park: It’s exercise, but it’s not a sport. Now, if you would go jogging or practice for your next marathon participation, running through that same park, it turns it into a sport. The same is true for the difference between recreational curling and competitive curling. Either try (and experience) the competitive side of a sport, or withhold your judgement.

Personally, I really like watching the game (watched about 2/3s of the sessions of the Olympic round robin), especially because I like to think for myself what I would play in a given situation. Perhaps others don’t like it. I think that’s mostly in not understanding what is going on, and not taking the time to watch and learn. Here too, judgement is passed too quickly, without a firm grasp of what the sport is really all about.

By: Hit Me TV

Hit Me TV — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:02:32 +0000

Curling niet populair onder jongeren?!
Het is maar wat je er zelf van maakt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA2s06Zn-UY

By: The Curling News

The Curling News — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:19:19 +0000

Another comment is located at: bit.ly/6ppgkn … and we hope Dutch sports fans enjoy the photo manipulation; Dutch curlers would love to see this sight someday!

By: 2LIP

2LIP — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:24:40 +0000

Thank you, Curling News, Moose, Adrian, Marcel and Suzy!
I think you all made very wise comments on our fabulous sport. Of course everyone is entitled to his or her own view on anything. But Frans, if your latest curling experience dates from 20 years ago, I would suggest you try again some time soon… The world around you changes!

By: Suzy

Suzy — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:51:00 +0000

Interesting discussion this. I can see that someone playing for fun, just as recreation, might not sweat a lot. Not sweep well, either. And, in fact, not doing very precise deliveries repeatedly. Maybe even doing bad choises tactically quite often, because who has time to put in the effort to really understand the game? Especially if it was 20 years ago they did it and the market interest was fairly low.

A lot has happened since then, I am quite sure that everyone can understand that. The fantastic thing about curling is that everyone can play and enjoy it. Even more fantastic is the possibility to constantly improve oneself within the sport. I am today 45 years old and started out five years old. I have played curling for fun, which didn’t claim too much effort, but for 20 years I played competative curling. I practised on ice 4 days a week, lifted weights three evenings a week and ran as many times a week. I spent most of my screen-time watching games to get tactic improvement and made sure to have good mentors to discuss this with. Still, I have never won the Europeans, Worlds or Olympics.

What I am trying to say is that curling on a top level is very demanding cost wise, time wise and effort wise. Still, it is all worth it because it is fun and stimulating.

I hope that you all will get enough input about and understanding of the game to enjoy the tv time during the Olympics. Just watching the planned hit and roll (promotion take out?)by Hammy in the Europeans or the fantastic Youtube clips from the Briars give me the chills – and what will the coming Olympics add? I am proud of Netherlands as a curling nation and hope that many more will try this fantastic sport!

By: Marcel

Marcel — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:09:44 +0000

Hello all!

As a member of the Dutch mens team I couldn’t resist entering this discussion :-)

No, curling is not very popular in Holland (yet?). It must the fact that is unknown here and the sweeping
looks odd when you’re not familiar with the sport. Sweeping is for cleaning the floor at home! I get a lot of funny comments from people around me when I tell them I play curling. I don’t mind, because I am used to it by now :-) But when I tell about what curling really is, most people start to get interested and want to know all about it!

But should curling be Olympic? Well, what makes a sport Olympic? In my opinion, there are 3 important factors:
1) a real toplevel sport 2) widely spread across the world 3) good to watch.

Curling has everything a toplevel sport should have. To be a topteam you have to invest a lot of effort. You have to be fit and strong to be a good sweeper and to stay focussed for 2.5 hours. Or play 14 games in 7 days, like we did at the European C’ships. You have to practise a lot to get your delivery technique right, be intelligent for strategy and have to be mentally strong to deal with pressure. And throwing the last rock for the gold medal IS pressure.. Like shooting a penalty in the 92nd minute in soccer, 1-1 on the scoreboard.. Team dynamics are also really important. Being a good team takes years of practising and playing games. Small differences in the things mentioned above can decide if you win or loose a game at toplevel.

Is curling widely spread across the world? I think there’s no question about that. Curling is played in Northern America, Europe, Asia, Australia.. Ok, not in Africa or Southern America, but what wintersport is…?

Good to watch? In my opinion, when you understand the game and tactics, it is great to watch. You see beautiful shots, interesting strategy and the tension can be thrilling!

I’m looking forward to your comments on this post!

By: stealthman

stealthman — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:15:17 +0000

Frans, you have just made a very strong argument for why curling SHOULD be included in the Olympics. According to IOC rules:
1 Olympic Sports included in the Programme of the Olympic Games
1.1.2 only sports widely practised in at least twenty-five countries and on three continents may be included in the programme of the Olympic Winter Games.

Perhaps you should be lobbying the IOC to change their inclusion criteria rather than picking on one sport.

The Olympics create a “coming together” of nations that is truly remarkable, useful and wonderful. As it is, there are only 15 sporting disciplines in the Winter Olympics (compared to 26 in the 2012 Summer Olympics). To remove all disciplines that don’t have complete world participation (or even only parts of the world that have a cold enough winter) would diminish the Olympics to a degree that would make it far less interesting.

Perhaps it is partly our Canadian way to be inclusive and accepting of people from all races, interests and backgrounds that makes us more interested in seeing sports like curling keep their Olympic status, and not just the fact that we’re good at it. ;)

We can all learn from each other by including events in our world festivals that we might otherwise not be exposed to.

By: Adrian

Adrian — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:35:08 +0000

Curling is a game that is easy to play, but difficult to master. It is unique in the way people of all ages, different sexes & with disabilities can all play the same playing field. The game has the strategy of chess, the skill of golf and the team dynamics of rowing or sailing each is so dependent on their team mates.
Yes it can be a relaxing Sunday afternoon activity, but th best in the world are athletic, intelligent and personable people.
It does in fact require many more attibutes than most olympic sports, and is very tightly contested.
I’ve played for 35 years, my daughters have started at 8 yrs old and my grandafther stopped at 82 yrs. You are of course entitled to your opionion about this great game, if a person doesn’t like it that’s ok too, but I believe that’s their loss.

Adrian
Wales (another minority curling nation)