What Sports Are in the Winter Olympics?
Since the first Winter Olympic Games, held in 1924, athletes have come together to compete in sports that test their speed, strength, and gracefulness on ice and snow. Learn which sports will be included in the program at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games in 2026 in the table below.
(Learn about 7 Canceled or Reintroduced Olympic Sports.)
| sport | date added |
|---|---|
| 1 Figure skating was included in the Summer Olympics in 1908 and 1920. | |
| 2 Ice hockey was included in the 1920 Summer Games. | |
| 3 The sport of skeleton sledding was invented on a track in St. Mortiz, Switzerland, and was an official Olympic event when the Winter Games were held there in 1928 and 1948. | |
| Alpine skiing | 1936– |
| biathlon | 1960– |
| bobsledding | 1924– |
| cross-country skiing | 1924– |
| curling | 1924, 1998– |
| figure skating | 1924–1 |
| freestyle skiing | 1992– |
| ice hockey | 1924–2 |
| lugeing | 1964– |
| Nordic combined (a combination of cross-country skiing and ski jumping) | 1924– |
| short-track speed skating | 1992– |
| skeleton sledding | 1928, 1948, 2002–3 |
| ski jumping | 1924– |
| ski mountaineering | 2026– |
| snowboarding | 1998– |
| speed skating | 1924– |
Citation Information
Article Title:
What Sports Are in the Winter Olympics?
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
19 December 2025
Access Date:
December 25, 2025