Accuracy, precision and teamwork are the pillars of curling. First played in late medieval Scotland, the sport has taken center stage at the Winter Olympics since its debut at the 1924 Winter Games. Great Britain won the inaugural three-team Olympic competition, defeating Sweden and France.
Here is everything to know about curling, or the highly strategic competition known as "chess on ice":
What is curling?
Curling is a sport played on a sheet of ice, where two teams take turns sliding granite stones toward a target known as the "house." Each team designates a skip (team captain) and a vice-skip. The skip directs the team while standing by the house at the far end of the sheet. The vice-skip takes over the skip's duties when the skip is delivering the stones.
What are the curling events at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
▪︎ Men's (four athletes)
▪︎ Women's (four athletes)
▪︎ Mixed doubles (two athletes -- one man and one woman)
Where will the curling events be held at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
The curling matches will be held at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
What are the rules?
Men's and women's curling matches last 10 rounds (or ends), while mixed doubles matches are eight. Men's and women's teams throw eight stones per end. Mixed doubles teams throw five stones per round.
Players must release a stone before the hog line for a stone to be considered in play. Competitors may use a stone to guard the house or take out opposing stones. When an end is complete, the next end is played in the opposite direction. After all stones have been delivered to the scoring end of the sheet, the players themselves calculate the score.
The team closest to the center, known as the "button," scores a point after each end and an additional point for every stone closer to the button than their opponent's closest stone. If neither team's stones are touching the house at the conclusion of an end, no points are scored. This is referred to as a blank end.
Extra ends may be played in the event of a tie.
Sweeping also plays a role. Teams may control the trajectory and distance of a throw by sweeping the ice in front of a stone. The friction of the sweeping causes the ice to melt.
What is curling's Olympic history?
Curling debuted as an Olympic sport at the 1924 Winter Games in Chamonix, France. After a lengthy hiatus, it officially returned at the 1998 Nagano Games, featuring both men's and women's events. Mixed doubles was introduced at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.
Which countries are most dominant in Olympic curling?
Historically, Canada has dominated the Olympic sport, claiming 12 all-time medals, including six golds. But neither the Canadian men's nor the women's team has earned curling gold at a Winter Olympics since 2014. The nation won the inaugural mixed doubles tournament at Pyeongchang in 2018.
Team USA won its only curling Olympic gold medal in 2018 in the men's event. The Americans begin their 2026 Olympic run with round-robin play on Feb. 11 at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
Check out the ESPN Olympics hub page for more updates on related events.