CURLING IN RUSSIA

In Russia, curling managed to find its way only on third attempt, when Lesgaftovets Curling Club was founded in 1991 on the basis of Saint Petersburg State Academy of Physical Culture named after Lesgaft. The previous attempts by foreign diplomats in the 1890-es and the initiative of the game enthusiasts in the 1920-es failed. Curling may be reckoned among one of the youngest and fastest developing sports in contemporary Russia. In just less than twenty years of its existence here, the game combining sports and intellect has gone a long way. Here is the timeline.

1991

In 1991, the Russian Curling Federation (RCF) was created and officially founded. In the same year, the first program for developing the sport in our country was enacted. The first official match of Russian teams was held in October 1991 in Hamburg, Germany as part of CC Hamburg Cup. The game was played by two Saint Petersburg teams – the team of Lesgaft Academy of Physical Culture and Team Saint Petersburg.

1992

Just one year after the creation of Lesgaftovets Curling Club, the Russian Curling Federation became member of the Russian Olympic Committee. By the way, few people recollect it now, but professors and students of Lesgaft Academy of Physical Culture used wooden “stones” (in the absence of real ones) and household brushes with handles attached for their first practice sessions. However, quite soon real curling practice sessions followed – with stones and curling brooms. In the same year, Saint Petersburg enthusiasts were joined by Moscow and Vologda athletes.

The first curling tournament in our country with teams from different regions took place in Saint Petersburg in spring 1992 resulting in creation of the first Russian national team.

This year is also notable for the Russian Curling Federation’s accession to the International Curling Federation (now World Curling Federation) and the European Curling Federation. What is more, our men’s national team made their first appearance in official international competitions at the European Championship.

1993

The first Championship of Russia took place during the 1992–1993 season. Men’s Saint Petersburg team and women’s Vologda team won the championship finals in spring 1993. It is notable that the first international curling tournament in Russia was also held in spring 1993 in Saint Petersburg’s Yubileyniy Sports Palace. Participants were amateur club teams from Canada, Finland, and Russia. World-famous athletes, World and European Champions – Keith Wendorf (Germany) and Jorg Tanner (Switzerland) – attended the tournament as guests of honor and participants.

This year also featured the first visit of the Russian national curling team to the USA.

1994

Moscow and Vologda Curling Federations were founded with a number of other country’s regions to follow with Curling Federation offices. It was the year of Russian women’s team first competing at the European level.

1995–1998

1995 brought us a medal: men’s junior national team took the bronze in EJCC. Just two years later, the national team had its first success: in 1997, the Russian women’s national team secured ECC Group B victory gaining the right to play in Group A, and in 1998, men’s national team repeated the women’s achievement.

Conquest of Olympus

In 2002 Olympics, the Russian women’s national team was among the ten contenders of the Curling title. Four year later, in the Torino Olympics, the Russian women’s national team showed a solid performance and ranked fifth.

Meanwhile, after the Torino Olympics, curling has been winning universal acclaim in our country. This Olympic sport has every chance of becoming at least as popular as cross country skiing or ice hockey. Russian athletes continue to surprise the world community and please their fans with victories. Here is what Vladislav Tretyak, the ice hockey legend, remarked on curling, “I do hope that this sport will gain crowds of fans in Russia. We need Olympic champions!”

Curling is considered to be an ideal family sport. It is an accessible and democratic sport open to anyone from the age of seven and not demanding superefforts. Approximately 10,000 people tried their hand at this game in Russia over the past few years. In all likelihood, Russians are ready to add curling brooms to their winter collection of skis, skates, and hockey sticks!

At present, in addition to Saint Petersburg and Moscow, regional curling schools are operating in Vologda, Kaliningrad, Leningrad, Moscow, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk and other regions.

The capital of South Urals is also home to Paralympic training as well, and starting from 2010, a deaf curling team began practicing in Ural Lightning Ice Palace. It is the first experience of the kind in Russia making one of the most democratic sports even more accessible.

Irina Bogdanova