The first evidence of curling comes just two years after Henry VIII had ascended to the throne but, since then, the sport has created its very own British royalty in the shape of Eve Muirhead, Willie Jackson and Rhona Martin.
Each of them have claimed Olympic gold for Team GB and, in doing so, caught the imagination of the British public as curling so often has the habit of doing during the Winter Olympics.
With less than a year to go until Milano-Cortina 2026, and Bruce Mouat's quartet recently crowned world champions representing Scotland, we answer all your questions on curling at the Olympics.
What are the rules of curling?
Curling is played with two teams, each made up of four players, competing directly against each other to score the most points.
Each team takes turns to slide eight stones across the ice towards a circular target known as the house.
Teams score points for the stones resting closest to the centre of the house when an end is complete, meaning when both teams have thrown all their stones.
An end constitutes a round in curling, with 10 ends played in the men’s and women’s tournaments, while mixed doubles has eight ends.
If the match ends in a tie, an additional deciding end is played to determine the winner.
Are there roles in a curling team?
The four-person format of the game typically sees each team appoint a Skip and a Vice-Skip, who essentially act as captain and vice-captain.
A Skip will make key decisions for the team such as direct play and deciding about team strategy. They will typically stand in the house at the scoring end of the sheet.
Curling positions can also be referred to by Lead, Second, Third and Fourth - with Third referring to the Vice Skip and Fourth referring to the Skip.
The positions refer to the throwing order, with Lead throwing the first two stones and so on while the Skip will throw the final two stones of the end.
Two of the team members who are not throwing will be used for sweeping. This aims to melt down anything on the surface of the ice that causes friction to help the stone travel further.
Teams may also sweep their opponents’ throw to make it travel away from the house.
What is the format of curling at the Olympic Games?
Curling at the Olympics starts with a round-robin tournament, with teams playing each other once to earn a standing in a league table.
The top four teams in the standings once every team has played each other once then progress to the semi-finals.
This means you can progress to the knockout stage even if you have lost a game during the round-robin phase.
The winners of each semi-final then progress to compete in the gold medal game.
Where did curling originate?
Curling is of British origin with the first curling stone discovered in Scotland, dating back to 1511. The stone is housed in the Stirling Smith Museum in Stirling, which also contains the world's oldest football.
The term itself was first known to be penned by Scottish poet Henry Adamson in 1620 and the sport has since featured extensively in popular culture, such as in The Simpsons, James Bond and The Beatles’ film ‘Help!’.
When did curling first appear at the Olympic Games?
Curling was present at the very first Winter Olympic Games at Chamonix 1924 with Team GB claiming gold.
However, the 1924 iteration was not recognised as a medal event until 2006. Until then, it was thought its first appearance was as a demonstration event at Lake Placid in 1932.
Curling returned to the Olympics as a medal event at Nagano 1998 and has been a firm fixture ever since.
What is Team GB’s history at the Olympic Games?
It was Willie Jackson who led his team, including his son Laurence Jackson, to gold at the inaugural games in 1924.
While it would take 78 years for Team GB to medal again, it was technically only two iterations of curling at the games later that Rhona Martin delivered a second gold in stunning fashion.
The British Skip clinched gold for Great Britain in 2002 at Salt Lake City with the famous ‘stone of destiny’ to defeat Switzerland in the final.
While Eve Muirhead would take Team GB onto the podium once more with bronze at Sochi 2014, she would eventually earn her gold medal at Beijing 2022.
As Skip, leading a team featuring Vicky Wright, Jennifer Dodds, Hailey Duff and Mili Smith, Muirhead captured British hearts and the gold medal at Beijing 2022.
They delivered a masterful performance to defeat Japan 10-3 in the final.
Where will curling be held at Milano-Cortina 2026?
There will be three curling competitions at Milano-Cortina - the men’s, women’s and mixed doubles, and all three will take place at the Cortina Olympic Stadium in Cortina D’Ampezzo.