One of the Midwest’s biggest Olympic sports kicks off this week. Here’s how to watch

Curling marks one of the first sports to begin at the 2026 Winter Olympics — and it all starts as early as Wednesday.

While there are no U.S. matches set to kick off the Games, at least eight countries will have competition two days before the Opening Ceremony even begins. That’s all part of the mixed doubles round robin rounds.

The curling events won’t take place in Milan, but will instead be held in Cortina, which is also hosting women’s Alpine skiing, bobsled, luge and skeleton.

Team USA will make its curling debut starting Thursday when it plays Switzerland.

Midwest athletes make up nearly the entire U.S. curling team. In fact, one of them could set a U.S. Olympic record in Italy.

Rich Ruohonen, a 54-year-old curler from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, is currently the oldest member of Team USA, having been named an alternate for the U.S. men’s curling team. If he competes at the 2026 Games, he will become the oldest American to ever compete in the Winter Olympics.

Here’s how and when to watch curling as it kicks off this week:

Wednesday

12:05 p.m. CT – Curling mixed doubles (No U.S. competition)

Thursday

7:35 a.m. CT – Curling (while many curling events begin around 3 a.m., the U.S. plays its match around 7:30 a.m.)

Friday

3 a.m. CT- Curling mixed doubles

7:35 a.m. CT – Curling mixed doubles

For a full schedule of events and how to watch or stream the competition live or in primetime click here.