GANGNEUNG, South Korea: When Ann Chase and her husband were planning their trip to Pyeongchang for the Olympics, she set her sights on nabbing tickets to the most glamorous event of the Games: Figure skating. Her husband, however, had decidedly humbler ambitions.
“He was like, ‘No, CURLING!’ And I was like, ‘OK, that’s like a $40 nap,’” Chase, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, said with a laugh before a recent curling match at the Gangneung Curling Center. “But then you get excited about it, you start watching it on TV. And we were trying to learn the jargon and we’re like, ‘OK, this is actually kind of cool!’“
Chase’s gradual warming toward the often-confounding sport of curling mirrors that of many people in the United States. While their Canadian neighbors have long revered the game of roaring rocks and feverish sweeping, Americans have generally derided the sport as a bit dull.
But that’s changing. Since 2000, the number of US curling clubs registered with the national organization USA Curling has nearly doubled, from 99 to 185. And while curling in the US was once relegated to the upper midwest and small pockets of New England, it has expanded to many southern and western states. Even Hawaii has a curling club.
At Pyeongchang, Americans are embracing the sport for its chess-like strategy and oddball factor. There’s the fun of seeing what garishly colored pants the Norwegians will wear each day, the challenge of trying to anticipate the teams’ next moves, and — best of all — the curlers’ quirky personalities.
American curlers Matt and Becca Hamilton, siblings from Wisconsin, have been particularly popular with US fans. On social media, tweets about the duo bear the hashtag #HamFam, and Matt’s mustache and red baseball cap have inspired plenty of memes likening him to the Nintendo character Mario. On the ice, they occasionally squabble like, well, siblings. It’s all very real — which is part of the appeal.
“You get to understand the players’ personalities because everybody’s mic’d up,” says Joe Polo, a member of the US curling team. “You can definitely tell what Hammy’s all about; he’s a goofball out there, and all the other guys. I think that’s the biggest thing, people can really make a connection to the players.”
Curling is a sport tailor-made for a nation that loves getting to go behind the scenes, says Matt Hamilton’s wife, Jen Hamilton. Unlike, say, ski jumping where the athletes are on and off the screen in a flash, curling matches last around three hours, giving viewers an in-depth experience as they watch the players strategize, joke around and holler orders.
“People are just realizing that it can actually be really fun to watch,” she says. “You’re spending three hours fighting with them for the win.”
Americans have also received much more exposure to the sport on TV in recent years. At the Olympics, curling coverage is a constant. It has the heaviest schedule of any sport at the Winter Games, with four matches being played simultaneously up to three times a day.
“It’s like they started showing poker on TV and all of a sudden, everybody started playing poker,” says Polo. “They started showing curling and everybody’s enjoying watching it.”
More exposure means more opportunity for Americans to learn the rules to this 500-year-old sport. Which, let’s face it, are pretty perplexing to the uninitiated.
Chau Tran, an American stationed at Osan Air Base in South Korea, first got into curling while flipping the channels during the Sochi Olympics. Though he was initially confused, once he grasped the basic concept — which is to get your stones close to the center of the circular target — he was entranced.
On Friday, he sat with his wife and daughter watching the Sweden vs. US match, waving an American flag. The Americans eventually lost, bringing their record to 1-2 in the nine-game round robin. Still, the fun of curling for Tran is figuring out the strategy. Players have to anticipate their opponents’ next several moves before deciding their shot.
“It’s a lot more than just throwing a stone,” he says.
Avery Bretschneider, a Minnesota native whose brother-in-law is a member of the US curling team, has recently seen his friends in Nebraska coming around to the sport. And he’s been glad to educate them on what it’s all about.
“You try to compare it as like darts and shuffleboard, maybe a little bocce ball,” he says. “Once people get started watching it, then it’s easier to explain the rules. It’s not a simple game.”
That’s something even the families of curlers admit is true. When Jen Hamilton first met Matt, her knowledge of curling was limited to a vague idea that it was an Olympic sport.
“We’ve been together eight years,” she says. “I think it probably took six years for me to understand what the heck was going on.”
Puzzling yet popular, Americans are learning to love curling
Puzzling yet popular, Americans are learning to love curling
Troubled Manchester United humiliated by Bournemouth
- Second successive flop for Amorim’s side following 4-3 League Cup quarterfinal exit at Tottenham
- Bournemouth win came a year after securing first ever victory at Old Trafford
MANCHESTER: Manchester United crashed to a humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth on Sunday as Ruben Amorim lost for the fourth time in his nine games in charge of the troubled Old Trafford club.
It was a second successive flop for Amorim’s side following their 4-3 League Cup quarter-final exit at Tottenham on Thursday.
Bournemouth took a first-half lead through Dean Huijsen before Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo netted after the interval to complete a dismal afternoon for Amorim, who replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag in November.
A year after securing their first ever victory at Old Trafford, Andoni Iraola’s Cherries triumphed by the same scoreline as they inflicted the biggest blow of Amorim’s short reign.
Huijsen became the latest player to capitalize on United’s woeful set-piece defending, before a Kluivert penalty and a Semenyo strike sealed a stunning win that brought boos from the home fans at full-time.
The result leaves United marooned in 13th over Christmas and marked an alarming fall from grace after last Sunday’s 2-1 derby win at Manchester City.
Amorim had always warned there would be bumps in the road but this fourth defeat in his ninth match in charge further underlined the issues at hand.
Marcus Rashford’s absence from a third consecutive matchday squad had dominated the pre-match discussion as Amorim made six changes.
United offered little attacking threat without Rashford and their glaring deficiences at the back were ruthlessly exploited by a Bournemouth side who are now up to fifth place.
Tyrell Malacia was furious to be adjudged to have fouled Adam Smith and Huijsen easily beat Joshua Zirkee to head home the resulting free-kick from Ryan Christie in the 29th minute.
Amorim brought on Leny Yoro for Malacia at half-time and soon made two further changes, with Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho replacing Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte.
The changes made no difference and Noussair Mazraoui conceded a careless penalty when he brought down Kluivert in the 61st minute.
The Netherlands international stepped up to send Andre Onana the wrong way as he stroked home from the spot.
United’s capitulation was complete two minutes later.
Kobbie Mainoo’s pass was cut out and Bournemouth broke as Evanilson slipped in Dango Ouattara, whose cutback was driven home by Semenyo.
Jubilant Bournemouth fans chanted “Man United, it’s happened again” in reference to last year’s victory, while the dejected home supporters flooded toward the exits.
Stokes out of England’s squad for Champions Trophy in Pakistan
- The 33-year-old star all-rounder was not considered after damaging a hamstring during England’s defeat by New Zealand this month
- Key batsman Joe Root, who preceded Stokes as Test captain, returns to the ODI side for the first time since the World Cup in India
LONDON: England Test captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of next year’s Champions Trophy one-day international tournament in Pakistan and the preceding white-ball tour of India, team management announced Sunday.
The 33-year-old star all-rounder was not considered after damaging a hamstring during England’s defeat by New Zealand in the third Test at Hamilton earlier this month.
“Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes was not considered for selection as he continues to be assessed following a left hamstring injury sustained,” said an England and Wales Cricket Board statement.
Stokes did not bat in the second innings of that match as England slumped to a 423-run defeat — a result that meant his side still won a three-match series 2-1.
He previously missed this year’s home series against Sri Lanka and the first Test in Pakistan due to hamstring issues.
With England facing a five-match Test series at home to India starting in June before their pinnacle 2025/26 Ashes tour of Australia, team management have decided against risking inspirational red-ball skipper Stokes.
Key batsman Joe Root, who preceded Stokes as Test captain, returns to the ODI side for the first time since the 2023 World Cup in India.
Fast bowler Mark Wood, who missed the recent Test tours of both Pakistan and New Zealand, with a bone-stress injury to his right elbow, is in both squads.
The India series and Champions Trophy will mark England’s first limited-overs tour and tournament under coach Brendon McCullum, previously just in charge of the Test side.
Jos Buttler, who missed the recent ODI series against the West Indies with a calf injury, remains captain of the two white-ball teams despite England surrendering both their 50-over and T20 world titles since November 2023.
But it is possible the dashing batsman, replaced as skipper in the Caribbean by all-rounder Liam Livingstone, may not keep wicket, as he has for much of his limited-overs career.
Both the ODI squad for the India tour and the Champions Trophy, as well as the squad for five T20s in India in January, feature two other wicketkeepers in Test gloveman Jamie Smith, who missed the New Zealand series to attend the birth of his first child, and Phil Salt.
Meanwhile, 21-year-old rising star Jacob Bethell, who marked his debut Test series with three fifties in New Zealand, is included in both squads.
Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed joins the T20 squad, while Root is selected only for the ODIs.
The tour party leaves for India on January 17, with the first match of a five-game series against T20 world champions India in Kolkata on January 22.
India and England will then play a three-match ODI series, in preparation for the Champions Trophy, starting in Nagpur on February 6.
Match dates for the Champions Trophy, which also features Pakistan as well as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, have yet to be announced, with the tournament due to run from February 19 to March 9.
England ODI squad for India tour and 2025 Champions Trophy:
Jos Buttler (capt/wkt), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith (wkt), Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt (wkt), Mark Wood
Lakers sweep 2-game set against Kings with a 103-99 victory
- Desmond Bane scored 23 points and Memphis, without star player Ja Morant, beat skidding Atlanta 128-112
- Darius Garland scored 26 points and Evan Mobley had 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, sending NBA-leading Cleveland to a 126-99 victory over Philadelphia
SACRAMENTO: LeBron James had 32 points and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings 103-99 to sweep a two-game set on Saturday.
Trailing 101-99 with 12 seconds left, the Kings had a chance to tie after Anthony Davis missed two free throws but squandered the opportunity after they couldn’t secure the rebound. Austin Reaves was fouled and made both free throws to put the game away.
Reaves finished with 16 points, and Davis had 10 points and 15 rebounds as the Lakers completed the sweep after beating the Kings 113-100 on Thursday.
De’Aaron Fox led Sacramento with 31 points. Domantas Sabonis had 19 points and 19 rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan added 12 points for the Kings.
Davis earned his 642nd block and passed Kobe Bryant for the fifth most in franchise history.
MAGIC 121 HEAT 114
In Orlando, Florida, Cole Anthony scored 27 of his 35 points in the second half and Orlando tied their largest comeback in franchise history to beat Miami after trailing by 25 points.
The Magic also trailed by 22 entering the fourth quarter before outscoring the Heat 37-8. Their 25-point comeback ties a mark set on Nov. 8, 1989 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Anthony also had eight rebounds and nine assists. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 24 points and Goga Bitadze added 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Magic, who lost center Mo Wagner to a knee injury in the first quarter and center Wendell Carter Jr. to an ejection before halftime.
Bam Adebayo and Terry Rozier led Miami with 23 points each, and Tyler Herro added 22.
GRIZZLIES 128 HAWKS 112
In Atlanta, Desmond Bane scored 23 points and Memphis, without star player Ja Morant, beat skidding Atlanta.
Scotty Pippen Jr. added 22 points and nine assists. Morant, who injured his back in the Grizzlies’ Dec. 19 win over Golden State, was ruled out with low back soreness before Saturday night’s game.
De’Andre Hunter led Atlanta with 26 points and Jalen Johnson added 13 points and 11 rebounds.
The Hawks were also without their own star in Trae Young, who was ruled out before the game with a right heel contusion. After winning its first three games in December, Atlanta has now lost four of its last five games.
JAZZ 105 NETS 94
In New York, Lauri Markkanen scored 21 points, Collin Sexton and Svi Mykhailiuk each had 18 points, and Utah beat Brooklyn.
The Jazz, who at 7-20 have one of the worst records in the NBA, have now won consecutive games for the first time this season. They beat the Pistons 126-119 on Thursday.
Both victories have come on the road, where they improved to 5-20.
John Collins finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds while Jordan Clarkson chipped in 16 points for a struggling Utah team that had lost 12 of its previous 15 games.
Cam Johnson had 18 points and Ben Simmons added 15 points and 10 assists for the Nets, who have lost seven of their last nine.
CAVALIERS 126 76ERS 99
In Cleveland, Darius Garland scored 26 points and Evan Mobley had 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, sending NBA-leading Cleveland to a victory over Philadelphia.
Donovan Mitchell had 19 points and Georges Niang added 13 points off the bench for Cleveland, which is 25-4 for the top record in the league.
The Cavaliers tied their season high with 22 3-pointers — Garland made 6 of 7 — and improved to an NBA-best 16-1 at home.
Tyrese Maxey scored 13 of his 27 points in the third quarter and Paul George had 11 points for Philadelphia. Kelly Oubre Jr. had nine points, but the 76ers were outscored by 34 in his 27 minutes.
CELTICS 123 BULLS 98
In Chicago, Jayson Tatum scored a season-high 43 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out 10 assists for his third career triple-double and Boston beat Chicago.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 22 points and Jaylen Brown added 19 to help the Celtics rebound from a 117-108 loss to the Bulls in Boston on Thursday night.
Tatum, the five-time All-Star, scored 18 points in the third quarter as Boston used a 19-8 run to open a 93-77 lead heading into the fourth.
Nikola Vucevic scored 19 points and 10 assists to lead the Bulls, whose season-high three-game winning streak ended. Zach LaVine, Coby White and Patrick Williams had 14 points each.
BUCKS 112 WIZARDS 101
In Milwaukee, Bobby Portis replaced Giannis Antetokounmpo in the starting lineup and scored a season-high 34 points, leading Milwaukee to a victory over Washington.
Khris Middleton had 18 points, six rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks, while Portis finished with 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Antetokounmpo (back spasms) missed his third game of the season and the Bucks also played again without Damian Lillard (right calf strain) after winning the NBA Cup earlier this week.
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said Lillard could play Monday against Chicago.
Rookie Ryan Rollins started at point guard in Lillard’s absence and contributed 14 points in 31 minutes. Center Brook Lopez also had 14 and Gary Trent Jr. had 15 points and seven rebounds.
Usyk beats Fury in heavyweight championship rematch
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RIYADH: Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk takes the crown again in a rematch with British heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury, retaining the “undisputed” title.
The rematch took place at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena on Saturday evening.
Usyk was awarded the fight 116-112 in favor by all three judges, handing Fury his second loss.
Usyk’s win takes him to 23-0 with 14 knockouts and extends one of the all-time best careers that includes Olympic gold and undisputed champion at cruiserweight.
On the sidelines of the much-anticipated rematch, the first ever artificial intelligence judge was used as an experiment and did not decide the fight, according to Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority.
During the media press conference, Fury told Arab News about the positive seven months he spent training and prepping for the rematch.
“I’ve had a good life, it's been good times, and I have had good training.”
Usyk told Arab News that he is happy that he won.
"I'm not a proud man, I'm just happy that I won. I like to motivate people to give them the incentive to do something."
As part of the undercard matches, Rhys Edwards, the Welsh featherweight boxer was overcome by the Peter Mcgrail British featherweight, who claimed his 11th professional win.
The fight was initially scheduled to be Mcgrail and Dennis McCann, who failed a drug test, causing him to be disqualified. Edwards stepped in with a five-day notice and accepted the challenge.
In an interview with Arab News, Edwards expressed his sentiments but remained optimistic given the short notice.
“ I'm a bit gutted I didn't get the win, but the whole week has absolutely been fantastic. And I've loved every moment of it…. I have learned a lot about myself. I took the fight (with) four days' notice, and a lot of people didn't give me enough credit or a chance coming into this fight. It was a very close (and) hard fight for both of us. So, I'm sure my profile and stocks have risen and I'm happy.
”I'm a very good fighter and I will fight anyone. I'm looking forward to a very big 2025.”
Tyson superfan Molly Chapman shared her predictions on which heavyweight will take the crown.
“I think Tyson Fury is going to win. I think his attitude is completely different this time. He seems more focused. He's been training hard. He looks in good shape and I think he's going to win.”
She told Arab News that her first time visiting the Kingdom has been amazing and has already begun planning her next visit.
“Saudi Arabia is just beautiful. The culture, the people, everyone's so friendly. And yeah, we're actually going to come back in February for the next fight.”
Daria Pyliukhno attended the boxing night rocking a “Ukraine” shirt, a true testament to her support towards Usyk.
“So today, of course I have to be here supporting my country. I'm from Ukraine, and I support Usyk. And I think he will win because Ukrainians mentality are strong enough to fight…I think that Usyk should bring Ukraine again the title of “The heavyweight champion.”
Riyadh Season’s wonderful surprises did not end there. A member of the audience was selected to win a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, presented by Alsheikh, during the opening ceremony.
Riyadh’s newly built Kingdom Arena played host to the boxing event, dubbed ‘Ring of Fire’, with a sellout crowd including several sports and entertainment figures in attendance at the 22,000-capacity venue.
Balotelli almost scores first goal for Genoa but Napoli hold on to lead Serie A again
- Lazio rebounded from a dismal 6-0 thrashing at home to Inter Milan by winning at lowly Lecce 2-1
- Bologna had a penalty saved but won at Torino 2-0
MILAN: Mario Balotelli almost scored his first goal back in Serie A while Napoli returned to the top after withstanding a late siege from Genoa to hold on for a 2-1 win on Saturday.
Balotelli returned to Serie A after more than four years in October and has made six appearances totalling just 57 minutes.
The 34-year-old was sent on with seven minutes remaining against Napoli and almost had an immediate impact as Andrea Pinamonti’s glancing header clipped Balotelli’s knee but goalkeeper Alex Meret managed to push it off the post.
It was one of several decisive saves by Meret in the second half as Genoa came out fighting after going into the break two goals down following headers from Frank Anguissa and Amir Rrahmani.
Pinamonti got Genoa back into it six minutes into the second half with a fine finish into the bottom right corner but the home side went on to suffer its first defeat since hiring Patrick Vieira as coach last month.
It was also Genoa’s first match since coming under the ownership of Romanian businessman Dan Șucu.
The loss left Genoa 13th in Serie A but only two points above the relegation zone.
Napoli moved a point above Atalanta, who host Empoli on Sunday.
10-men Lecce almost hold out
Lazio rebounded from a dismal 6-0 thrashing at home to Inter Milan by winning at lowly Lecce 2-1 but it was far from convincing despite Lecce playing the entire second half with 10 men.
Lecce’s chances of getting something from the match appeared to evaporate on the stroke of halftime.
Taty Castellanos’ first shot was parried brilliantly by Wladimiro Falcone and his follow-up was cleared off the line by the hand of Lecce defender Frédéric Guilbert, who was shown a straight red card.
Castellanos fired the resulting penalty into the bottom left corner.
Tete Morente volleyed Lecce level five minutes after the break and it seemed as if the 10 men were going to hold out for a point but substitute Adam Marusic — who had only just come off the bench — scored the winner three minutes from time.
Lecce almost leveled in stoppages but Mohamed Kaba’s header came off the crossbar.
Lazio moved to fourth while Lecce remained two points clear of the drop zone.
Bologna had a penalty saved but won at Torino 2-0.
