USCA Media Guide - Great Lakes Curling Association

CURlInG’s OlYMPIC hIsTORY
The first Olympic demonstration was in 1924, in Chamonix, France, where
men’s teams from England, France and Sweden competed. England won the
gold, and Sweden the silver. Games at this time were 18 ends long versus 10
today. This event was most recently recognized as the first time curling was an
Olympic medal sport. However, the sport would not have full medal status
again until the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
Curling was next a demonstration sport in 1932, in Lake Placid, N.Y. Eight
men’s teams competed–four from Canada and four from the United States.
The U.S. teams came from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan and New
York. Canada won the round robin competition, taking 12 games to the USA’s
four. Games were 16 ends long.
After a long absence, curling returned to the Olympics as an official demonstration
in 1988, in Calgary, Canada. For the first time, a women’s competition
was included. Canada won the women’s event, followed by Sweden and
Norway. On the men’s side, Norway took the gold, followed by Switzerland and
Canada. (Bronze medals were awarded to the team that lost in the playoffs to
the eventual champion.) The U.S. men’s and women’s teams both finished
fourth.
Curling was again part of the Olympic demonstration sport program in
1992, in Albertville, France. This time, Germany won the women’s gold, followed
by Norway and Canada. A bronze medal game was held, with Canada
defeating Denmark. Switzerland took the men’s championship, with Norway
earning the silver medal and the USA defeating Canada for the bronze medal.
The USA’s team included Bud Somerville, Mike Strum, Bill Strum and Tim
Somerville, all from Superior, Wis. (The U.S. women failed to earn a berth in
the Olympic competition in 1992.)
OlYMPIC REsUlTs –WOMEn
Year Gold skip silver bronze UsA
2010 SWE Anette Norberg CAN CHN 10
2006 SWE Anette Norberg SUI CAN 8
2002 GBR Rhona Martin SUI CAN 4
1998 CAN Sandra Schmirler DEN SWE 5
1992* GER Andrea Schopp NOR CAN **
1988* CAN Linda Moore SWE NOR 4
*denotes demonstration sport
** did not qualify for competition
U.s. OlYMPIC TEAMs
Year location skip vice skip
2010 Vancouver, Canada John Shuster Jason Smith
Debbie McCormick Allison Pottinger
2006 Torino, Italy Pete Fenson Shawn Rojeski
Cassie Johnson Jamie Johnson
2002 Salt Lake City, Utah Tim Somerville Mike Schneeberger
Kari Erickson Debbie McCormick
1998 Nagano, Japan Tim Somerville Mike Peplinski
Lisa Schoeneberg Erika Brown
1924 Chamonix, France No USA team
Demonstration sport:
1992 Albertville, France Tim Somerville Mike Strum
1988 Calgary, Canada Bob Nichols Bud Somerville
Lisa Schoeneberg Erika Brown
1932 Lake Placid, NY 4 U.S. men’s teams participated
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