How curling will ride the Olympic boom

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How curling will ride the Olympic boom
Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT

There are many reports in local newspapers, and social media is flooded with videos and pictures of people playing curling in different, imaginative ways.

The boom has not passed the Swedish curlers in Cortina.

"You see clips and stuff, and curling is everywhere. It's crazy fun. I hope it lasts," says Sara McManus after winning gold in the women's tournament.

"You can see that there is interest. There is every opportunity for Swedish curling to flourish across the country," says Agnes Knochenhauer.

Curling as a game

She likes the pictures she has seen of children and young people playing spontaneous curling with whatever is available.

"They make rocks out of ice with caramel coloring and put them into a dish brush. It's incredible. It could become an obvious schoolyard game," she says.

With two golds, curling is Sweden's most successful sport at the Olympics, second only to skiing.

How are you going to build on your success?

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"I hope that there are many young people out there who flock to the curling halls. I hope parents make sure to get involved. We need all the enthusiasts we can get."

"It's a small sport. There aren't many resources, but I hope this will make us grow properly. I hope to meet a lot of young people in the hall," says McManus.

Isabella and Rasmus Wranå, the gold medalists in mixed doubles, and the women's team led by Anna Hasselborg have suddenly become celebrities at home.

Likes to travel around

Can you travel around a bit and advertise the sport?

"We're happy to do that," say Sara McManus and Agnes Knochenhauer, sitting next to each other.

National team captain Fredrik Lindberg:

"It's about trying to ride the wave. We're trying to show ourselves as much as possible. Then it's about working hard on recruitment in the clubs and making sure we make ourselves available. The community once you get into the clubs is so great, and I really hope people take the chance and try it now."

Women's coach Kristian Lindström would like to see more halls built.

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"We would have liked to have more halls in more places. Then we could have grown more. But we are working with what we have, and the halls that exist are working very hard to create conditions that allow you to enjoy the sport we do."

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TT News AgencyT
By TT News AgencyEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for our readers

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