The Curling News: Curling uproar over 1924 Games

From the “Curling News” Blog

….. The IOC is now investigating: will the Scottish story prove to be premature… or not?

The curling world is in an uproar over The Herald’s claim to have exposed this 82-year-old Olympic sporting secret. As explained in the previous post, The Herald reports the International Olympic Committee has confirmed that gold medals won by Great Britain in curling at the first Olympic Winter Games (photo), held in Chamonix in 1924, are now genuine, and should no longer be considered demonstration medals.

However, an IOC official, who declined formal comment, told The Curling News that Olympic archivists have now been assigned to verify the facts, and will confirm the information tomorrow: We’re digging out the official 1924 program, the official said. It’s been 80 years, and we’re going to take another day to look at it.

The news, confirmed or not, has shocked the curling world. If the claim is verified, the gold won at the 1998 Games in Nagano by Canada’s Sandra Schmirler and Switzerland’s Patrick Huerlimann would no longer be the first official curling medals ever handed out in Olympic competition.

Click on the link at the beginning of the story for the full story and the rest of this article.

Scotland wins Olympic gold . . . 82 years later – The Herald

Web Issue 2448 January 23 2006
DOUG GILLON

A Scottish curling team has been designated Olympic champions more than 80 years after its victory on the ice.

It had previously been thought that the sport was a demonstration event at the 1924 Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix, meaning that winners would not be considered to be medallists.

However, after an investigation by The Herald, curling’s competitive status has now been confirmed by the International Olympic Committee, which should lead to Britain’s official gold medal tally increasing by one.

The revelation of the hitherto unrecognised victory was greeted with a mixture of delight and astonishment by the British Olympic Association, whose chief executive, Simon Clegg, said: “I am fascinated, and amazed that huge authorities on the Olympics have not picked up on this.

“I’m very grateful to The Herald. The history books will need to be re-written.”

The son of Robin Welsh, who was one of the team members, died on Friday before learning his father had won Olympic gold.

Grandson Peter Welsh, who now has the medal, says he and his father, also Robin, had believed like everyone else that curling was a demonstration event.

“I had been looking forward to telling him about the Olympic gold medal, but never had the chance.”
The other team members selected by the Royal Caledonian Curling club were Willie and Laurence Jackson and Tom Murray.

* Read the full story by Doug Gillon in today’s sports tabloid

Broadcast March 21, 1972

(Click on the above link for CBC Sports Clip showing the “LaBonte Blunder”)

The Story:

It looks like an easy trip to a fifth consecutive Silver Broom world championship for the Canadians. They’ve won all seven of their round-robin games and beaten classic rivals Scotland to advance to the finals. But by the last end of the championship game against the United States, they’re in trouble. Canada needs two points to force an extra end — and, amazingly, they get both, thanks to an error by the U.S. skip.

It will go down as one of the most infamous events in curling history. Canadian skip Orest Meleschuk knocks out a U.S. stone and the shot rock rolls to the inner edge of the eight-foot ring. U.S. third Frank Aasand glances at the Canadian stone and raises his broom in victory. Skip Bob LaBonte runs over to celebrate, slips on the ice and nudges the Canadian stone as he lands on his back.

Neither Aasand nor LaBonte is aware that the Canadian stone has been “burned,” or inadvertently moved from its original position, and a measurement shows that Canada has the two points necessary to force an extra end. When the end is played, the United States scores no points but Canada scores one — and wins the 1972 Silver Broom. This CBC special from the 1976 Silver Broom in Duluth, Minn., looks back on the debacle.

This Great Curling Moment Recommended by Kilgour Trout, December 17, 2005

The best curling moment was when Bob Labonte lost the silver broom to the big “O” Orest Meleschuk….All shots were finished….A Measurment was required to determine which rock was closer, Labontes or Meleschuks…it was very close…the tv cameras and everybody who was watching the game including Orest knew that Labontes rock was closer….all that was left was the traditional clarification of a measurement by a third party in case the rings or hole in the center of the button were crooked and Labonte would be the World Champion of curling…..it was all over for Orest and his crew when suddenly the ungentlemanly Labonte jumped up in celebration slipped and slid on the ice and disturbed the rocks that needed to be measured..the Silver Broom official ruled Labonte had burned the rock and awarded the point to Meleschuk forcing the game into an extra end which Meleschuk easily beat the demoralized U.S.A Bob Labonte team to win the Silver Broom World Championship…..Like Billy Mosienkos 3 goals in 21 seconds the Labonte Blunder remains the worst curling mistake of all time

Feel free to add your comments and thoughts about this Great Curling Moment “The Labonte Blunder” in the comments below

We have set-up two new pages here at CurlingBlog.com ..

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We would like to know who you think are the great ones!… and why! This is not subject to Canadian curlers – but around the world!

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www.curlingblog.com/2005/11/attn-curlers-from-around-the-world/

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HART