ER(CURLICK WING); GAO ZEHO. RASCO (2, BINAT HLOG/VCG/GETTY N); THOMIMASAGE LOSV (ELOCSKI JUMK (^) P) SIKIDS.COM / 47
We’re not gonna lie: Curling stones
are expensive, hard to find, and
absurdly heavy. (Each weighs
around 42 pounds, and there are
16 in a set.) So why not make your
own? All you have to do
is go to Ailsa Craig, a
240-acre island off
the coast of Scotland
that is the one place
on Earth all Olympic
curling stones come
from. The granite there
is strong, smooth, and doesn’t
absorb water. Or, maybe look for a
curling club near your home and
borrow theirs.
Unfortunately, COVID-19
persists, which makes any
gathering of lots of people from
all over the world inherently
risky. The stakes are especially
high for the NHL, who
has already had several
outbreaks this season
and will be pausing its
schedule for an Olympic
break. Everyone involved
will have to be vaccinated or
quarantine for three weeks. Then
they will enter a “closed-loop
management system” meant to
keep them isolated, and they
should expect daily testing.
How will COVID-19
impact the Games?
While cities would ideally like
to use as much of their exisiting
infrastructures when hosting the
Games, it’s always fun to see
the new facilities erected
just for the occasion.
The 2008 Summer
Olympics in Bejing led
to the creation of several
beautiful stadiums, like
the Bird’s Nest and the Ice
Cube, both of which will be used
this year. New venues include the
National Speed Skating Oval, built
on 2008’s hockey field and Big Air
Shougang, the first Olympic ski
jump that will be kept permanently.
Where can I get me
some curling stones?
How big is that target
they’re shooting at?
The quick answer is: pretty small, but
it depends. Biathlon is a combination
of two sports—cross-country skiing
and rifle shooting. Like any grueling
physical activity, skiing raises your
heart rate, but to be an accurate
shot, you need a slow, steady pulse.
Athletes shoot in two positions:
prone and standing. Since the prone
position makes it easier to balance
a rifle, the target (which is 164 feet
away) is slightly smaller than for
the standing shots: 1.77 inches, as
opposed to 4.53.
The Games The Games Curling
Olympics
What had to be
built for these Olympics?
Biathlon
maropa
(Maropa)
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