I am far from being a sports expert. I have practiced several in my life without ever demonstrating extraordinary talent or completely covering myself with ridicule. Besides, sports statistics bore me.
However, I think I can say that I have an unusual affection and curiosity for sport, not to say pathological. I lost hours of sleep and beautiful summer days sticking to the small screen so as not to miss the conclusion of all more hidden and obscure events. I feel at home in stadiums and around any sports field. I don’t know of a better way to connect with people, both here and abroad, than to sit among them to watch a sporting event they are passionate about or even go play with them.
It was normal then that on the first real day of competition at the Beijing Games, I went first thing in the morning to the famous “water cube”, where the swimming and diving events were held at the Summer Games. of 2008 and which was converted and renamed for the occasion the “ice cube”, to attend the events of the preliminary round of mixed doubles curling.
It was the first time that I saw such a competition elsewhere than on TV. I didn’t know that it starts a bit like a hockey game, that is to say with all the athletes warming up by all throwing rocks at will at the same time to the rhythm of catchy music. I admit that the last thing I expected in the capital of the Middle Kingdom was to see bagpipe players appear in kilts coming to push the ritornello to kick off the competition and scare children.
It took me a while to figure out where to head with four games happening side by side simultaneously. I quickly realized that the few dozen Chinese spectators present did not have this problem, all their reactions – rather polite and wise – following only the course of the confrontation between their national team and a duo of Australians. Like me, they did not seem to grasp all the subtleties of the game, remaining indifferent to certain placements with which their own players, however, seemed particularly satisfied themselves.
I was surprised by the relatively hushed atmosphere despite the well-known shouts from the players to their teammates to direct their brushing of the ice in the path of the stones. Seeing and hearing the Chinese team in action allowed me to learn that in Mandarin “brush harder” is said: “hard” and that “stop brushing” is said: “woh, woh”.
I loved. I would have stayed to see Italy against Switzerland in the afternoon, but I had to leave in a hurry not to miss the start of the preliminary round match of group B between China and the Czech Republic in women’s hockey.
This report was financed thanks to the support of the Transat International Journalism Fund.The duty.