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Originally Posted by Ducay
Mixed doubles curling you could hardly tell a difference between the sexes
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There is still a huge difference between John Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes. At the elite level, the reason the women usually throw first and last is those rocks seldom require hitting. You cannot hit on the first rock of the end, no matter whether you have hammer or not. If you have hammer, the male can throw a hit on all three of his rocks. Guys, especially ones built like Morris, are physically stronger than elite, double gold medalists, Lawes.
Just look at the Swiss team that got silver. The female didn't sweep one rock. Literally not one thrown rock. Martin Rios swept both of her rocks, and was beside her for when she threw. On his rocks she'd hold the broom and he'd get up to sweep his own rocks. He was carrying that team and they put the male sweeper vs female sweeper to the extreme.
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Originally Posted by MoneyGuy
I'd love to see male curlers play the women. That may be the sport where the women would stand the best chance. The men would still prevail, in my opinion.
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Originally Posted by Arsenal14
It wouldn't be close. The men threw the big weight much better and have a huge sweeping advantage. Homan would be lucky to win more than one in ten against Koe. On the other hand, Homan would beat the hell out of my men's team and pretty much every other club team.
I do think that the doubles format would really even the gap though - Homan & Miskew vs. Koe & Kennedy would be pretty close I think. The game just lends itself to rock placement more than the ability to clear rocks.
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As Arsenal said, it won't be close. Of course a team like Homan would beat the best male club curlers, and likely many male teams that qualify for provincials but don't make the playoffs. However, if they entered Manitoba's provincial championships on the men's side, they would not come top four. The men's teams are too good, and they are too strong. Sweeping and leg drive out of the hack are not comparable.
I disagree that in doubles it would close the gap. I don't see a team like Homan and Miskew being able to compete with Hebert and Kennedy. There are less hits, but sweeping and fitness are such a huge part of the game. My guess for the best women's team would be Lawes and Joanne Courtney. I think if you are putting the best men's teams together for a doubles event, you'd go pretty far down the line before you'd be able to put the top women's team that would be able to win consistently. Obviously this won't ever be able to be proven, but that's my gut feel.
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Originally Posted by getbak
Rachel Homan's team has been one of the best women's curling teams in recent years. Two years ago, they played in a tournament against 9 men's teams.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Elite_10
The played 4 games in the round robin and only won one. |
When Homan entered the event many people were saying they could win it. I disagreed. That year they didn't even win their province against women. I was shocked they won one game, but this wasn't a regular bonspiel. The Elite 10 uses a skin's game format, so traditional scoring and game play is not the same. I think this was also the year they were still figuring out brooms, so you could only use one broomhead for the entire bonspiel. This negated a lot of the advantage for the men.
If you put Homan in any grand slam event as the only women's team, they will struggle to win a game. Homan is an absolutely elite women's curling team. They would have a tough time beating any men's team inside the top 20.