When the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games come around every four years, there are many sports which compete to grab the attention of viewers around the world. However, there is one in particular that seems to capture the hearts and minds of many every time: curling.

The Winter Olympics got underway Wednesday with the first curling matches in Cortina, but came to a halt only moments later because of a power outage.

The defending Olympic mixed doubles curling champs are back following an undefeated 2025. Get to know the nine competitors looking to defeat the Italians on their home

Curling was a part of the original Winter Olympics in 1924, and it is quite popular. It only remained at the Olympics as a demonstration sport until 1998, when it became an official sport on the docket. In reality, it checks off a lot of the boxes of what makes a sport a sport.

Olympic competition begins Wednesday with curling. Here’s a breakdown of the sport’s history, rules and strategy.

Other curling matches set for Wednesday include Estonia vs. Switzerland, Great Britain vs. Norway, and Sweden vs. South Korea. All contests will be streamed on Peacock. Time: 1:05 p.m. ET

He found the Detroit Curling Club, which celebrated its 140th Anniversary in 2025. "The oldest recorded curling in the United States is in the Detroit area, dating back to 1832, and so curling has been around for quite a while here in the Detroit area," said Mike Grudzinski, vice president of Detroit Curling Club.

Lindsey Vonn is “confident” she can compete at the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Olympics despite the left knee injury she sustained in a crash four days ago