Edinburgh Evening News – Sport – Martin scoffs at ‘magic broom’ claim
Fri 23 Dec 2005
RONNIE ESPLIN
OLYMPIC gold medallist Rhona Martin has scoffed at suggestions that the British women’s curling team will have an unfair advantage in Turin by using a so-called “magic broom”.
The broom, reported to cost £22,000, is the product of five years of research by a team at Edinburgh University’s materials science department, backed by the Scottish Institute of Sport.
The “sweep ergometer” is equipped with miniature gauges to measure the downward force being exerted by a sweeper and “brush-head accelerators” which record sweeping speed.
The sweeper’s effectiveness is then calculated by a computer. Adjustments in positioning and other factors can be incorporated into the sweeper’s style.
But Dutch Curling Association chairman Joep Waijers said: “This broom is not welcome at all. If it is not being done by everyone it shouldn’t be done by one.”
Martin, who will defend her Olympic title in Italy in February as skip of a team which includes Debbie Knox, Jackie Lockhart, Kelly Wood and Lynn Cameron,
said: “It’s not a magic broom. It is a sweeping ergometer, a training tool which measures how powerful we are and to be honest I haven’t used it very often.
“Other countries seemed to have jumped on the bandwagon a bit early about this and are panicking that we are cheating. People seem to think we just press a button and it sweeps for us. But it doesn’t make the brush go any faster.”
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
{ 1 trackback }
{ 0 comments… add one now }