The Olympic impact behind Curling’s worldwide rise

In households across the globe, the sporting action in Cortina has created plenty of passionate new curling fans.

Like every four years, curling’s tension and its skilful athletes have captured the imagination and support of people everywhere.

A growing sport rooted in history

The first written evidence of ‘curling’ appeared in Latin, when in 1540, John McQuhin, a notary in Paisley, Scotland, recorded in his protocol book a challenge between John Sclater, a monk in Paisley Abbey and Gavin Hamilton, a representative of the Abbot.

From these Scottish roots, curling has travelled the world — most notably to Canada, the biggest curling nation in the world. It has travelled so far that World Curling now has 77 Member Associations, ranging from Afghanistan to Nigeria, India to the U.S. Virgin Islands and many more.

The Olympic boost

There is no doubt that this growth in curling’s popularity has been helped by its inclusion at the Olympic Winter Games, and now Milano Cortina 2026 has been the ninth edition to include curling in its programme.

Not only does this inclusion at the Games help to introduce new fans to curling, but also helps financially so that more investment can go back into the sport.

Colin Grahamslaw, World Curling’s Secretary General said, “The Olympic Winter Games has meant an extra billion people and more being exposed to our sport.

“It has also been the source of significant revenue that has played a key part in how we develop the sport globally.”

The inaugural Olympic Winter Games, held in Chamonix, France in 1924 (as the “Semaine de Sports d’Hiver”, and retrospectively acknowledged as the first Olympic Winter Games), featured a curling competition among its nine sports, involving just three men’s teams — hosts France, Great Britain and Sweden. It was won by the British quartet.

There had been three demonstration curling competitions — at the 1932 Games in Lake Placid, United States; the 1988 Games in Calgary, Canada; and the 1992 Games in Albertville, France.

Curling at Milano Cortina 2026 © World Curling / Celine Stucki

In the spotlight

It was then a long wait until curling’s next appearance on the full competition programme, which came at the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games.

Helena Lingham is a World Curling Board member and was Swedish Chef de Mission during these Games.

She said, “The Olympic Games was totally different back then but still very good. We had a really nice experience in the Olympic Village and the arena and that was the first time curlers were exposed to that.

“It’s so much bigger now — Nagano was so much quieter than this. But it’s all been so good for curling.”

Helena Lingham with Team Sweden at the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games

At the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games, ten women’s and ten men’s teams took part.

Rhona Howie, skip of Great Britain’s women’s team that went on to win gold, remembers her experience at these Games: “The whole Olympic Winter Games is something you can’t explain to people before you go.

“It’s a completely different thing to a World Championship or a European Championship — you’re playing the same teams but it’s so different.”

Curling has continued to feature at the Olympic Winter Games since then, at Torino 2006, Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014.

Jill Officer, also a member of the World Curling Board, was part of the Sochi 2014 gold winning Canada team.

She remembers the impact of the Games on the profile of her team and the sport, “The main difference between before our Olympic gold and afterwards was the attention that we received. I still get recognised at home, just because of that impact.

“It changed my life and provided a lot of opportunities, the opportunity to stay involved in the sport.”

Canada win gold at Sochi 2014 © World Curling / Richard Gray

Curling continues to evolve

At the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, there was a huge development in curling’s Olympic involvement. The mixed doubles discipline made its debut, and eight teams competed for the first time.

This huge success led to the mixed doubles competition being expanded to ten teams at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

Curling now also features at the Youth Olympic Games and, since 2006, wheelchair curling has been part of the Paralympic Winter Games.

Fast-forward to present day, we have witnessed another unforgettable chapter of the sport’s continued evolution and ability to inspire millions at Milano Cortina 2026.

Long may that continue.