Curling is one of the most popular Winter Olympic sports, requiring skill, strategy, and precision. At the Milano-Cortina Games, three medal events will feature 112 competitors from ten nations each in men's, women's, and mixed doubles.
The team with the hammer throws the final stone of each end, a significant advantage as they can see all other stones and the current scoring situation. The hammer is retained if no team scores; otherwise, the team that did not score in the previous end gets it next.
Before a game, the hammer is decided by a draw to the button: two players from each team deliver one stone clockwise and one counter-clockwise, aiming closest to the centre of the house. The distances are measured to determine last stone advantage.
In men's and women's events, the skip typically throws the final two stones of each end. In mixed doubles, the same player throws the first and last stones of each end, while their teammate throws the middle three. Teams start each end with one pre-placed stone, allowing up to six points in an end.
