Before the opening ceremonies of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on February 6, the curling competition will begin in Italy on February 4. The curling competition will start with mixed-doubles games, playing in the Stadio Olimpico del Ghiaccio (Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium) in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Curling: ‘The’ Sport in the Winter Olympic Games
Curling has become “the” sport in the Winter Olympic Games. In fact, curling has grown exponentially since the Vancouver Olympics in 2010.
Membership in USA Curling has grown from 14,275 in 2010 to 23,500 today, says NBC New York. Nearly 100,000 people try this sport annually.
Clubs around the country sponsor “Learn to Curl” (LTC) events every year. These events generally include:
- A short history of curling
- A discussion of the game and strategy
- Instruction time on the ice to allow players to learn how to throw, sweep, and participate as the front ends or back ends (players) of a curling team
But in an Olympic year, participation in this sport increases dramatically. Even if LTC participants never sign up for an instructional league, the LTC provides a better understanding of the play, strategy and scoring in the game. It also increases the enjoyment of watching curling competitions.
Clubs Are All Across the United States
According to the United States Curling Association, there are about 200 clubs across the country.
Curling is normally associated with cold-weather states, such as:
- Alaska
- Michigan
- Ohio
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin (which has its own state association due to the high number of clubs)
- North Dakota
However, clubs existed in Texas, Maryland and Washington State long before 2010. But the expansion of this sport after the 2010 Vancouver Olympics was impressive, especially in “non-curling” states, such as:
- Florida
- Georgia
- North Carolina
- Virginia
- Missouri
- Arizona
Additional clubs were founded in Ohio, such as the Cincinnati Curling Club and the Troy Curling Club. These clubs joined the already established Bowling Green, Columbus, Cleveland Skate, and Mayfield clubs.
Playing against an Olympic Team
Four teams composed of members from the Bowling Green and Detroit Curling Clubs competed at the Olympic Curling Trial in 1997. My friends, Mary and Ed Glowacki, both went to the 1997 Olympic Trials.
Mary recalls, “It was amazing to be playing for the Olympics, but I knew that we would not make it that far. So many other teams were much better and had more experience playing together. But for us, we can say that we tried for the Olympics!
“The one thing I do remember after the Olympics in 1998 in Nagano, Japan, the women’s team from Bowling Green played the Olympic women’s team for our first game in the United States Women’s Curling Association.
“What an experience that was! Of course, we lost, but it was great to say that our first game that year was against the Olympic team!
“The team was Lisa Schoeneberg, Erika Brown, Debbie Henry (former Olympic curler Debbie McCormick), Lori Kreklau and Stacy Liapis. Debbie McCormick skipped the 2010 Vancouver Olympics women’s team and played vice for Erika Brown at Sochi.”
The High-Performance Program and USA Curling
Like all Olympic teams, professional curling teams are expected to perform well. The United States Olympic Committee threatened to slash funding for curling after the last-place finish in Vancouver in 2010 and the nearly last-place finish at Sochi in 2014.
USA Curling established its formal High-Performance Program (HPP) in 2010. The point of this program was to provide structured coaching, funding, and resources for elite athletes and improve their success in international competitions.
Two men’s and two women’s teams were initially selected for the HPP. The goal was to win a gold medal.
Interestingly, John Shuster, a member of the U.S. team who won a gold medal in curling at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, was originally cut from the HPP in 2014. Shuster then formed his own team, which included:
- Matt Hamilton, who was also cut from the HPP
- Tyler George
- John Landsteiner
Today, even with a gold medal and the High-Performance Program, no United States four-person team has acquired enough competition points to qualify for an Olympic spot. Teams have had to “play in” at a qualifier for the United States to participate in the current Winter Olympic Games.
Other HPP teams have qualified as four-person teams, including:
- Team Caspar, headed by Danny Caspar, who ended Shuster’s 20-year dominance as Team USA
- Team Peterson, headed by Tabitha Peterson
Over time, the HPP has evolved and encompassed mixed doubles and junior teams. Consequently, the future looks bright for curling in the United States.
Challenges, Changes and Growth in the Sport
The growth of curling has led to new challenges and changes. New USA Curling-sanctioned competitive club events have expanded opportunities for curlers to begin the process of working their way to the elite level. These starter-league events include the:
- Five and Under (for club curlers playing five years or less)
- Club Nationals (Men’s and Women’s)
- Mixed Nationals
- Mixed Double Nationals
- Mixed Senior Nationals
- Juniors (for young players under 21)
The Junior competitions give under-21 players time to build and hone their skills and later advance in bonspiels (tournaments). For curlers 50 and over, the Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Senior Nationals provide an opportunity to play on a national stage, like Olympic-level curlers.
College curling teams have also grown, especially outside of the traditional curling regions. Bowling Green State University, for instance, established a curling club in 1968. Since then, new clubs have appeared and provided opportunities for colleges to incorporate this sport into their curriculum.
This winter, try curling! There are clubs in 49 states, and there may be one near you!
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