PARIS, Jan 19, 2010 (AFP) - Curling giants Canada and Great Britain face unexpected competition at the Vancouver Olympics in the roly-poly shape of TV's doughnut-chomping Homer Simpson and his dysfunctional family from hell.

The hugely-popular American TV cartoon series is celebrating its 20th anniversary with an episode to air during the February 12-28 Games in which Homer and long-suffering wife Marge represent the US in Olympic curling.

Far from being embarrassed by seeing their 500-year-old sport lampooned by Springfield's most notorious residents, curling's top officials believe the unlikely partnership can only benefit its long-term future.

"We're ecstatic about the exposure," Rick Patzke, chief executive of USA Curling, told reporters recently.

"The show's writers took genuine interest. We're pleased with the opportunity to share more information about our sport with a grander audience."

The Simpsons may be sending up a sport which involves teams of four players desperately sweeping an icy path for a heavy, granite stone to ease towards its intended target.

But those locked into gold medal pursuit at the Games are serious about a sport first played in Scotland in the 16th century and which made its Olympic debut at Chamonix in 1924 before disappearing off the programme until Nagano in 1998.

David Murdoch, who leads the British challenge in Canada, is the reigning world champion and is tipped to edge out the home team's Kevin Martin, who took silver in Salt Lake City in 2002.

Murdoch has enjoyed four consecutive wins over Martin, nicknamed 'K-Mart', including a skins tournament last week in Ontario where he collected 75,000 dollars prize money.

"It's nice to beat another Olympian," said Murdoch. "In that respect I suppose it's a psychological boost for us."

Britain's women were surprise Olympic champions in 2002 with the matronly Rhona Martin sending her 'stone of destiny' to capture gold.

Eight years on, the skip is 19-year-old Eve Muirhead, a striking blonde who boasts a tattoo of the Olympic rings on her back.

Muirhead and her team face stiff opposition from defending champions Sweden, who will again be led by Anette Norberg and also top-ranked Canada. However, China's women, skipped by Bingyu Wang, affectionately known as 'Betty', are the reigning world champions.

The Chinese men and women are coached by Canadian Daniel Rafael.