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.

How do brooms affect stones in curling? Here's what to know as the popular 2026 Winter Olympics competition begins at Milano Cortina Games.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The Winter Games are currently underway in Italy, but Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation is bringing the Olympic experience downtown. Jacobson Plaza offers a variety of activities that don’t involve lacing up ice skates.

Of the 10 mixed doubles curling teams competing in that Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, three are married couples, bringing a bit of love to the ice.

Thanks to advances in the art and science of ice making, curlers at bonspiels such as the one at the Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, rarely expect Albertville-level ice drama — even in an Olympics whose early headlines have been dominated by questions around Milan’s down-to-the-wire hockey arena.

You might not be able to go snowboarding or skiing in Houston, but you will be able to try curling in Texas during the Winter Olympics.

Why does curling become so popular at the Olympics? And how does it even work? Time to actually learn about this popular Winter Olympics sport.

Did you know all Olympic curling stones come from a tiny Scottish island? Why the granite sourced at Ailsa Craig is crucial to this unique sport. (Photo: AP)

It might seem inelegant to yeet an iron skillet across an ice rink. But this spinoff sport has its own techniques and lingo: You can throw a turtle at the bacon, for instance.

An Oregon woman who began curling seven years ago after watching the Winter Olympics has been selected to help create the competition ice for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games. Lauren Rich,