Curling at the 2026 Winter Olympics – Qualification explained

See main article: Curling at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The curling competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics will feature a total of 30 teams. There will be 10 teams participating in each of the three disciplines: Men's, Women's, and Mixed Doubles. In the Men's and Women's events, each team will consist of 5 athletes, while the Mixed Doubles teams will have 2 athletes each. This means that a total of 120 athletes will be competing across all disciplines.[1]

Summary

Final summary

As the host country of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Italy will have teams participating in all three disciplines of curling. This marks Italy's second participation in the Women's event, with their previous appearance dating back to the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Men

Means of qualificationDates Location Quotas Qualified
Host nationcolspan=2 1
Qualification points at the 2024 & 2025 World Championships 30 March–7 April 2024 Schaffhausen, Switzerlandalign=center rowspan=27
29 March–6 April 2025 Moose Jaw, Canada
Olympic Qualification Event6–13 December 2025 TBA 2
Total 10

Women

Means of qualificationDates Location Quotas Qualified
Host nationcolspan=2 1
Qualification points at the 2024 & 2025 World Championships 16–24 March 2024 Sydney, Canadaalign=center rowspan=27
15–23 March 2025 Uijeongbu, South Korea
Olympic Qualification Event6–13 December 2025 TBA 2
Total 10

Mixed doubles

Means of qualificationDates Location Quotas Qualified
Host nationcolspan=2 1
Qualification points at the 2024 & 2025 World Championships 20–27 April 2024 Östersund, Swedenalign=center rowspan=27
26 April–3 May 2025 Fredericton, Canada
Olympic Qualification Event15–20 December 2025 TBA 2
Total 10

Qualification timeline

Source:[2] [3]

Event Date Venue
2024 World Women's Curling Championship[4] 16–24 March 2024 Sydney, Canada
2024 World Men's Curling Championship[5] 30 March–7 April 2024 Schaffhausen, Switzerland
2024 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship[6] 20–27 April 2024 Östersund, Sweden
2025 World Women's Curling Championship[7] 15–23 March 2025 Uijeongbu, South Korea
2025 World Men's Curling Championship[8] 29 March–6 April 2025 Moose Jaw, Canada
26 April–3 May 2025 Fredericton, Canada
17–24 October 2025 TBA
6–20 December 2025 TBA

Qualification system

Qualification to the curling tournaments at the Winter Olympics will be determined through two methods. Nations will qualify teams by earning qualification points from performances at the 2024 and 2025 World Curling Championships. Teams will also qualify through an Olympic qualification event which will be held in December 2025. Seven nations will qualify teams via World Championship qualification points, while two nations will qualify through a qualification event to be held in December 2025. As host nation, Italy qualified teams automatically, thus making a total of ten teams per discipline in the curling tournaments.[2]

In case of a tie in qualification points, the following criteria will be employed to resolve such ties: firstly, preference will be given to the nation that most recently appeared at the World Championship; secondly, if necessary, preference will be given to the nation that performed better at the 2025 World Championship, if that is a tie then whichever nation performed better at the 2024 World Championship will win the tie; and finally, if neither of the first two criteria suffice, a playoff will be arranged between the tied teams at a time and venue determined by World Curling.[9]

Qualification points

The qualification points are allotted based on the nations' final rankings at the Men's and Women's World Championships. The points are distributed as follows:

align=left bgcolor=#efefefFinal rank width=201 width=202 width=203 width=204 width=205 width=206 width=207 width=208 width=209 width=2010 width=2011 width=2012 width=2013
align=left bgcolor=#efefefPoints width=2015 width=2013 width=2011 width=2010 width=209 width=208 width=207 width=206 width=205 width=204 width=203 width=202 width=201

The qualification points are allotted based on the nations' final rankings at the Mixed Doubles World Championships. The points are distributed as follows:

align=left bgcolor=#efefefFinal rank width=201 width=202 width=203 width=204 width=205 width=206 width=207 width=208 width=209 width=2010 width=2011 width=2012 width=2013 width=2014 width=2015 width=2016 width=2017 width=2018 width=2019 width=2020
align=left bgcolor=#efefefPoints width=2027 width=2023 width=2020 width=2018 width=2016 width=2015 width=2014 width=2013 width=2012 width=2011 width=2010 width=209 width=208 width=207 width=206 width=205 width=204 width=203 width=202 width=201

Note: Scotland, England and Wales all compete separately in international curling. By an agreement between the curling federations of those three home nations, only Scotland can score Olympic qualification points on behalf of Great Britain.

Qualification events

In order to qualify for the Olympic Qualification Event in the Men's and Women's disciplines, a nation must be ranked between 9th and 13th (or between 8th and 12th if Italy is not ranked in the top 8 teams of the discipline) based on the combined results of the 2024 and 2025 World Curling Championships. Alternatively, they can qualify by finishing in the top 3 at the Pre-Olympic Qualification Event. To be eligible for the Pre-Olympic Qualification Event, a nation must not have already qualified for the Olympics or the Olympic Qualification Event. They must have also qualified for either the 2024 or 2025 World Men's or Women's Championships, or have qualified in the A division of the 2024 or 2025 European Curling Championship or Pan Continental Curling Championships.[2]

In the Mixed Doubles event, a nation can qualify for the Olympic Qualification Event by participating in either the 2024 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship or the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship. There will be no Pre-Olympic Qualification Event for this discipline. However, if the Olympic Qualification Event has less than 16 teams participating, the World Curling Federation Mixed Doubles Rankings as of May 1, 2025 will be used to determine the remaining berths until there are at least 16 teams participating in the Olympic Qualification Event.[2]

Qualification results

Key
Olympic Host Nation
Nation Qualified for the Olympic Games via Qualification Points from the 2024 & 2025 World Championships
Nation Qualified for the Olympic Games via the Olympic Qualification Event
Nation Qualified for the Olympic Qualification Event
Nation Qualified for the 2026 Winter Olympics

Men

Country20242025Total PointsPre-OQEOQE2026 OG
PlacePointsPlacePoints
11515Q
213Q13Q
31111
41010Q
599Q
688Q
777Q
866Q
955Q
1044Q
1133Q
1222Q
1311Q
X0Q
X0Q
X0Q
X0Q

Women

Country20242025Total PointsPre-OQEOQE2026 OG
PlacePointsPlacePoints
11515Q
21313Q
311Q11Q
41010
599Q
688Q
777Q
866Q
955Q
1044Q
1133Q
1222Q
1311Q
X0Q
X0Q
X0Q
X0Q
X0Q

Mixed doubles

Country20242025Total PointsOQE2026 OG
PlacePointsPlacePoints
127Q27Q
223Q23Q
320Q20Q
418Q18Q
516Q16Q
615Q15Q
714Q14Q
813Q13
912Q12Q
1011Q11Q
1110Q10Q
129Q9Q
138Q8Q
147Q7Q
156Q6Q
165Q5Q
1744Q
1833Q
1922Q
2011Q

Note: Scotland, England and Wales compete separately at international level in curling. By an agreement between the curling federations of those three nations, only Scotland can score Olympic qualification points on behalf of Great Britain.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Olympic qualification. July 12, 2023. World Curling Federation.
  2. Web site: Qualification System - XXV Olympic Winter Games - Milano Cortina 2026. May 6, 2023. July 12, 2023. World Curling Federation.
  3. Web site: WORLD CURLING BEGINS SEARCH FOR OLYMPIC SEASON EVENT HOSTS. June 7, 2024. World Curling.
  4. Web site: World Women’s Curling Championship 2024. World Curling Federation. July 12, 2023.
  5. Web site: World Men’s Curling Championship 2024. World Curling Federation. July 12, 2023.
  6. Web site: World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship 2024. World Curling Federation. August 8, 2023.
  7. Web site: UIJEONGBU, KOREA TO HOST LGT WORLD WOMEN’S CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP 2025. World Curling Federation. March 22, 2024.
  8. Web site: World Men’s Curling Championship 2025. Curling Canada. March 9, 2024.
  9. Web site: Qualification System - XXV Olympic Winter Games - Milano Cortina 2026. February 12, 2024. April 6, 2024. Olympics.