Curling first became an Olympic medal sport at the inaugural Winter Games in Chamonix in 1924, and then returned permanently as a full medal sport at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.

Quick Scoop: Olympic Curling Timeline

  • 1924: Curling is contested at the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France, as a medal event (this was officially re‑recognized by the IOC in the 2000s).
  • 1932, 1988, 1992: The sport appears as a demonstration event, helping keep curling visible on the Olympic stage.
  • 21 July 1992: The IOC grants official medal status to men’s and women’s curling for no later than the 2002 Games, with an option for 1998.
  • 1998: Curling returns to the Olympic program in Nagano as a full medal sport for both men and women and has been played at every Winter Olympics since.

So if you’re answering “when did curling become an Olympic sport,” the short historical answer is 1924, but in its modern, continuous form it became a permanent Olympic medal sport starting in 1998.

TL;DR:

  • First Olympic medal appearance: 1924 Chamonix.
  • Modern full‑time medal status: from 1998 Nagano onward.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.