Though most Olympic events are physically demanding, curling seems to be out of place when it comes to competition.The sport of curling seems to be very simple: slide a big heavy rock across a sheet of ice and try to land it inside a target. The closest one to the center of the target wins.

Curling dates back to more than 500 years ago, when it originated in Scotland.

As an Olympic sport, it was first played in 1924 but did not appear as an official Olympic sport until the 1998 games.

In Olympic competition, curling is played in the men’s and women’s tournaments with 10 teams each. Two teams at a time play against each other and advance through the tournament until a winner is declared.

A game consists of 10 ends in which each team throws eight stones each, alternating shots. The objective is to get the stones inside the house, a 12-foot ring, and closer to the center or button than the other team. Points are tallied after each end, and the team with the most points wins.

This is a very interesting sport to me. I sometimes ask myself why I am bothering to watch this. It’s just men sliding rocks across a sheet of ice, while two more men sweep the ice in front of the stone to control its speed and direction. How hard can this sport really be?

Many people compare curling to chess on ice. Curling is highly competitive and needs a good strategy. Sometimes you need to sacrifice one of your stones to remove your competitor out of the house.

As the Olympics near, I can’t wait to watch the curling tournament. These men and women are just as competitive as every other Olympic athlete.

Though curling may not be as physically demanding as others, it is a very strategic game.

I believe that if you were to watch just a bit of curling, you would become very interested in the sport.

The men’s and women’s tournaments begin on Feb. 16 and continue through Feb. 23. The women’s medal round will be held on Feb. 26, while the men’s will be held on Feb. 27.