World Curling Federation
Encyclopedia
The World Curling Federation (WCF) is the world governing body for curling
accreditation, with offices in Perth, Scotland
. It was formed out of the International Curling Federation (ICF), when the push for Olympic Winter Sport status was made. The name was changed in 1991.
The ICF was initially formed in 1965 as a committee of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club
in Perth after the success of the Scotch Cup series of world championships held between Canada and Scotland. At the outset, it comprised the associations of Scotland
, Canada
, Sweden
, Norway
, Switzerland
, and the United States
In the wake of its formation, it sanctioned the World Curling Championships
. The WCF currently sanctions fifteen international curling events (see below). The WCF is managed by an executive board of seven, each from a different country and elected by WCF member associations, and a permanent staff of ten employees. There are currently 48 member associations.
The purpose and aims of the WCF are as follows:
Following is a list of member associations of the World Curling Federation:
President: Kate Caithness (Scotland
)
Vice President: Patrick Hürlimann
(Switzerland
)
Director of Finance: Andy Anderson (United States
)
Secretary-General: Colin Grahamslaw
Members at large:
Development Officer: Richard Harding
Media Relations Officer: Joanna Kelly
Development Officer: Eeva Röthlisberger
Development Officer/Director of Competitions: Keith Wendorf
WCF Secretariat at Perth
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
accreditation, with offices in Perth, Scotland
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
. It was formed out of the International Curling Federation (ICF), when the push for Olympic Winter Sport status was made. The name was changed in 1991.
The ICF was initially formed in 1965 as a committee of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club
Royal Caledonian Curling Club
The Royal Caledonian Curling Club is the mother club of the sport of curling, and the governing body of curling in Scotland. The RCCC was founded on 25 July 1838 in Edinburgh, and granted its royal charter by Queen Victoria in 1843, after she had witnessed a demonstration of the sport played on...
in Perth after the success of the Scotch Cup series of world championships held between Canada and Scotland. At the outset, it comprised the associations of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
In the wake of its formation, it sanctioned the World Curling Championships
World Curling Championships
The World Curling Championships are annual curling events which showcase the world's best curlers, organized by the World Curling Federation. There are men's, women's and mixed championships. The men's championship started in 1959, while the women's in 1979...
. The WCF currently sanctions fifteen international curling events (see below). The WCF is managed by an executive board of seven, each from a different country and elected by WCF member associations, and a permanent staff of ten employees. There are currently 48 member associations.
Goals
The WCF Mission Statement reads: "The World Curling Federation represents curling internationally and facilitates the growth of the sport through a network of Member Associations/Federations."The purpose and aims of the WCF are as follows:
- To represent curling internationally and to facilitate growth of the sport throughout the world
- To promote co-operation and mutual understanding amongst Member Associations and to unite curlers throughout the world
- To Defend and Further the interests of world curling
- To conduct world curling competitions
- To formulate rules of the sport of curling for world competitions and all other competitions approved by the WCF
Member Associations
| Year | Name | Country | President | WCF Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Andorra Curling Association | Josep Duró | Europe | |
| 2010 | Armenia Curling Federation | Hayk Jaghatspanyan | Europe | |
| 1986 | Australian Curling Federation | John Anderson | ||
| 1982 | Österreichischer Curling Verband | Marcus Schmitt | Europe | |
| 1997 | Belarusian Curling Association | Dmitry Kirillov | Europe | |
| 2005 | Belgium Curling Association | Peter Suter | Europe | |
| 1998 | Brazilian Ice Sports Federation Brazilian Ice Sports Federation The Brazilian Ice Sports Federation was founded by Eric Maleson, Brazil's first Bobsled athlete. CBDG was established in 1996 and affiliated to the Brazilian Olympic Committee in 1999... |
Eric Leme Walther Maleson | ||
| 1990 | Bulgarian Curling Association | Ognian Marinov Sapunov | Europe | |
| 1966 | Canadian Curling Association Canadian Curling Association The Canadian Curling Association is a Canadian organization responsible for encouraging and facilitating growth and development of the sport of curling. The CCA is associated with more than a dozen provincial and territorial curling associations across the country.-History:The CCA was created in... |
Laura Lochanski | ||
| 2002 | Chinese Curling Association | Ni Huizhong | ||
| 2004 | Croatian Curling Association | Alen Cadez | Europe | |
| 1990 | Czech Curling Association | Karel Kubeška | Europe | |
| 1971 | Danish Curling Association | Niels Larsen | Europe | |
| 1971 | English Curling Association | Alison Arthur | Europe | |
| 2003 | Estonian Curling Association | Indrek Schwede | Europe | |
| 1979 | Finnish Curling Association | Olli Rissanen | Europe | |
| 1966 | French Curling Association | Alain Contat | Europe | |
| 1967 | Deutscher Curling-Verband | Dieter Kolb | Europe | |
| 2003 | Hellenic Curling Association | Ioannis Kanelopoulos | Europe | |
| 1989 | Hungarian Curling Association | András Rókusfalvy | Europe | |
| 1991 | Icelandic Curling Association | Líney Rut Halldórsdóttir | Europe | |
| 2003 | Irish Curling Association | John Jo Kenny | Europe | |
| 1972 | Italian Curling Association | Giancarlo Bolognini | Europe | |
| 1985 | Japan Curling Association | Hiroaki Doi | ||
| 2003 | Kazakhstan Curling Association | Viktor G. Kim | Europe | |
| 1994 | Korean Curling Association | Byeong Rae Kim | ||
| 2001 | Latvian Curling Association | Janis Rudzitis | Europe | |
| 1991 | Liechtenstein Curling Association | Heinz Hasler | Europe | |
| 2003 | Lithuanian Curling Association | Vytautas Vimantas Zimnickas | Europe | |
| 1976 | Luxembourg Curling Association | Marco Etienne | Europe | |
| 1975 | Netherlands Curling Association | Jerry Van Zundert | Europe | |
| 1991 | New Zealand Curling Association | James Armstrong | ||
| 1966 | Norwegian Curling Association | Bent Ånund Ramsfjell | Europe | |
| 2003 | Polish Curling Association | Marek Jóźwik | Europe | |
| 2010 | Romanian Curling Federation | Allen Coliban | Europe | |
| 1992 | Russian Curling Federation | Dimitry Svischev | Europe | |
| 2005 | National Curling Association of Serbia | Marko Stojanović | Europe | |
| 2003 | Slovak Curling Association | Juraj Kapolka | Europe | |
| 2010 | Slovenian Curling Association | David Stonič | Europe | |
| 1999 | Spanish Ice Sports Federation | Maria Teresa Samaranch | Europe | |
| 1966 | Royal Caledonian Curling Club Royal Caledonian Curling Club The Royal Caledonian Curling Club is the mother club of the sport of curling, and the governing body of curling in Scotland. The RCCC was founded on 25 July 1838 in Edinburgh, and granted its royal charter by Queen Victoria in 1843, after she had witnessed a demonstration of the sport played on... |
Robbie Scott | Europe | |
| 1966 | Swedish Curling Association | Björn Rudström | Europe | |
| 1966 | Swiss Curling Association | Louis Moser | Europe | |
| 2009 | Turkish Curling Association | Fahrettin Kandemir | Europe | |
| 1998 | Chinese Taipei Curling Federation | Rich K.H. Lee | ||
| 1966 | United States Curling Association United States Curling Association The United States Curling Association is the national governing body of the sport of curling in the United States. The goal of the USCA is to grow the sport of curling in the United States and win medals in competitions both domestic and abroad. Curling’s recent popularity has swelled the USCA to... |
Chris Sjue | ||
| 1991 | US Virgin Islands Curling Association | Jackson Roberts | ||
| 1982 | Welsh Curling Association | Andrew Tanner | Europe |
Executive Board
The current executive board is as follows:President: Kate Caithness (Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
)
Vice President: Patrick Hürlimann
Patrick Hürlimann
Patrick Hürlimann is a Swiss curler and Olympic champion. He received a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.He has received three medals at the World Curling Championships as skip for the Swiss team....
(Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
)
Director of Finance: Andy Anderson (United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
)
Secretary-General: Colin Grahamslaw
Members at large:
- Young C Kim (South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
) - Niels Larsen (DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
) - Leif Öhman (SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
) - Graham Prouse (CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
)
Staff
The WCF has a group of permanent staff, listed as follows:Development Officer: Richard Harding
Media Relations Officer: Joanna Kelly
Development Officer: Eeva Röthlisberger
Development Officer/Director of Competitions: Keith Wendorf
WCF Secretariat at Perth
- Gill Amatt
- Liz Burns
- Shirley Davies
- Susan Keith
- Liz Munro
Former Presidents
Former presidents of the WCF and ICF are listed below:| President | Member Association | Years in office |
|---|---|---|
| Presidents of the ICF | ||
| Major Allan Cameron | Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
1966–1969 |
| Brigadier Colin A. Campbell | Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
1969–1979 |
| Sven A. Eklund | Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
1979–1982 |
| C. Clifton Thompson | Canada | 1982–1985 |
| Philip Dawson | Scotland | 1985–1988 |
| Dr. Donald F. Barcome | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
1988–1990 |
| Presidents of the WCF | ||
| Günther Hummelt | Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
1990–2000 |
| Roy Sinclair | Scotland | 2000–2006 |
| Les Harrison | Canada | 2006–2010 |
Competitions and Championships
The WCF currently manages or is involved in 15 events around the world. Following is a list of those events:| Event | | Description |
|---|---|
| International Events | |
| World Women's Curling Championship World Curling Championships The World Curling Championships are annual curling events which showcase the world's best curlers, organized by the World Curling Federation. There are men's, women's and mixed championships. The men's championship started in 1959, while the women's in 1979... (WWCC) |
For twelve women’s teams from the Americas, European and Pacific Zones. |
| World Men's Curling Championship World Curling Championships The World Curling Championships are annual curling events which showcase the world's best curlers, organized by the World Curling Federation. There are men's, women's and mixed championships. The men's championship started in 1959, while the women's in 1979... (WMCC) |
For twelve men’s teams from the Americas, European and Pacific Zones. |
| World Junior Curling Championships World Junior Curling Championships The World Junior Curling Championships is an annual curling tournament featuring the world's best curlers who are 21 years old or younger. The competition for both men and women occur at the same venue. The men's tournament has occurred since 1975 and the women's 1988... (WJCC) |
For ten junior men’s and ten junior women’s teams from the Americas, European and Pacific Zones. |
| World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship The World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships are annual curling tournaments featuring the world's best teams of mixed doubles curlers.The tournament began in 2008 with the 2008 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship. Switzerland's mixed doubles team of Irene Schori and Toni Müller dominated the... (WMDCC) |
Open Entry: one team may enter from each Member Association. One male and one female player on each team. |
| World Senior Curling Championships World Senior Curling Championships The World Senior Curling Championships is an annual curling tournament featuring curlers from around the world who are at least 50 years old. Senior curling is quite similar to curling, with the exception of having only 8 ends played instead of 10.... (WSCC) |
Open Entry: one team from each gender may enter from each Member Association. The players must not be less than 50 years of age. |
| World Wheelchair Curling Championship World Wheelchair Curling Championship The World Wheelchair Curling Championship is an annual world championship held to determine the world's best team in wheelchair curling. It is held every non-Paralympic year.-Medalists:... (WWhCC) |
The world championships for wheelchair curling Wheelchair curling Wheelchair curling is an adaptation of curling for athletes with a disability affecting their lower limbs or gait. Wheelchair curling is governed by the World Curling Federation, and is one of the sports in the Winter Paralympic Games.... ; for ten mixed gender teams. |
| World Wheelchair Curling Championship Qualification | Open to mixed gender wheelchair curling teams from associations that have not already qualified for the next WWhCC. |
| Winter Olympic Games Curling at the Winter Olympics Curling was included in the program of the inaugural Winter Olympic Games in 1924 in Chamonix. The results of that competition were not considered official by the International Olympic Committee until 2006. Curling was a demonstration sport at the 1932 Games, and then again after a lengthy absence... |
Ten men’s and ten women's teams in format similar to WCC; an IOC International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president... event. |
| Winter Paralympic Games Wheelchair curling at the Winter Paralympics Wheelchair curling tournaments have been staged at the Paralympic Games since the Winter Paralympic Games in 2006 in Turin.The tournaments are staged for mixed gender teams.... |
Ten mixed gender wheelchair curling teams in format similar to WWhCC; an IPC International Paralympic Committee The International Paralympic Committee is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nine sports... event. |
| Continental Cup of Curling Continental Cup of Curling The Continental Cup of Curling is a curling tournament held annually between teams from North America against teams from the rest of the world. Each side is represented by six teams , and compete using a unique points system. The tournament is modeled after golf's Ryder Cup... |
Team North America (United States and Canada) vs. Team World. Twelve teams in total: three men’s and three women’s teams each for both teams. Features team games, mixed doubles games, singles shot-making round, mixed skins and skins games. |
| Regional Events | |
| Pacific Curling Championships Pacific Curling Championships The Pacific-Asia Curling Championships are an annual curling tournament, held every year in November or December. The top team receives a berth to the World Curling Championships, while the second-placed team also receives a berth if the championships are held in the Americas or in Europe... (PCC) |
For men’s and women’s teams from the Pacific zone; acts as qualification to the World Curling Championships (WCC). |
| Pacific Junior Curling Championships (PJCC) | For junior men’s and women’s teams from the Pacific Zone; acts as qualification to the WJCC. |
| European Curling Championships European Curling Championships The European Curling Championships are annual curling tournaments held in Europe between various European nations and hosted by the European Curling Federation. The European Curling Championships are usually held in early to mid December... (ECC) |
For men’s and women’s teams from the European Zone; acts as qualification to the WCC. |
| European Junior Curling Challenge (EJCC) | For junior men's and women's teams from the European zone that have not already qualified for WJCC. |
| Americas Challenge | For qualification to the WCC and WJCC, only if the second-ranked member association from the Americas zone is challenged. (ex. 2010 USA-Brazil Challenge 2010 USA-Brazil Challenge The 2010 USA - Brazil Challenge was held February 5–7, 2010 at the Grafton Curling Club in Grafton, North Dakota. The challenge pitted the Brazilian National Curling Team against the Pete Fenson rink of Bemidji, Minnesota, representing the United States... ) |