Curling continues to captivate audiences as one of the most popular and strategically complex sports at the Winter Olympic Games. As Team GB prepares to compete at the upcoming Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics, understanding the intricate rules and tactical elements becomes essential for appreciating this sport of steady nerves and intense precision.
The Olympic Curling Landscape
At the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, curling will feature three distinct medal events, each contested by ten competing nations. A total of 112 elite athletes are set to participate across these disciplines, showcasing the global appeal of this ice-based sport.
The Olympic programme includes the traditional men's and women's team competitions, alongside the mixed doubles format that was successfully introduced at the Pyeongchang 2018 Games. For Great Britain, the mixed doubles pairing will consist of Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Moat, while each traditional team comprises four playing members plus an alternate athlete.
Understanding the Hammer in Curling
The hammer represents one of the most crucial strategic elements in competitive curling. This term refers to the valuable Last Stone Advantage, granting the possessing team the opportunity to deliver the final stone of each end.
This position provides a significant tactical benefit, as the team with the hammer can assess the entire scoring situation after all other stones have been thrown. Having the final say allows for precise placement, defensive protection of existing points, or aggressive scoring attempts when the end's layout becomes clear.
How Teams Earn the Hammer
The hammer follows specific rules of acquisition and retention throughout a curling match. Fundamentally, whichever team fails to score during an end automatically receives the hammer for the subsequent round. This rule creates fascinating strategic decisions, as teams sometimes deliberately avoid scoring just a single point, preferring instead to retain the hammer for a potentially larger score in the following end.
If neither team manages to score during an end, the hammer remains with the team that previously held this advantage. This scenario maintains continuity while rewarding defensive play that successfully prevents opponents from scoring.
Determining Initial Hammer Possession
Before any championship curling match begins, teams must determine which side will commence with the hammer. In elite competitions, this decision is made through a precise process called the Last Stone Draw, often abbreviated as LSD.
During this pre-game procedure, two players from each team deliver stones toward the centre of the house, with one stone thrown clockwise and the other counter-clockwise. Officials then measure the precise distance from each stone to the exact centre point, with the team achieving the closest combined distance earning the valuable hammer advantage to start the match.
Throwing Responsibilities and Team Structure
In traditional men's and women's team curling, the final two stones of each end are typically delivered by the skip. This player serves as the de facto captain of the rink, responsible for shaping overall strategy, reading the ice conditions, and executing crucial shots under intense pressure.
The mixed doubles format introduces different throwing responsibilities due to its unique structure. With only five stones played per end in this discipline, the same team member throws both the first and last stones, while their teammate delivers the three middle stones. Teams begin each end with one stone already pre-placed per side, creating scoring opportunities of up to six points in a single end.
This strategic complexity, combined with the hammer's crucial role, ensures that curling remains one of the most intellectually demanding and captivating sports at the Winter Olympic Games, where milliseconds and millimetres often determine victory or defeat.
