Winter Olympics 2014: Your guide to Curling

10-21 Feb at Ice Globe Curling Centre

A general view of the ice in the Ice Cube Curling Center (GETTY IMAGES)

What is it? Twelve years ago, everyone knew the rules as Rhona Martin's "housewives on ice" won a dramatic gold in Salt Lake City. There are 10 ends per match with teams scoring a point for each stone closest to the scoring circle at the completion of each end. Ten nations compete in a round-robin format with the top four going into the semi-finals.

What do I need to know? Teams of four. The key figure is the skip, who dictates tactics and sends down the final stone at each end. Martin won gold with her last stone – the stone of destiny.

Tell me something I don't know After getting home Martin received a letter in which the correspondent said she got so excited when Britain won that she fell off her sofa, landed on top of her cat and killed it.

GB chances Eve Muirhead is the world champion and David Murdoch won world bronze last year.

One to watch Muirhead struggled in Vancouver, bursting into tears after being knocked out. But she has matured into an icy – appropriately enough – competitor.