Winter Olympic Games

winter sports · global competition · ice and snow · Olympics

Held every four years. The Winter Olympic Games take place once every four years, giving athletes time to train and prepare for the next competition. This schedule has been a tradition for decades.

Snow and ice sports only. Unlike the Summer Olympics with running and swimming, the Winter Olympics feature only sports played on snow and ice, like skiing, ice skating, snowboarding, and ice hockey.

February in the north. The Winter Olympics almost always happen in February, when it is cold and snowy in the Northern Hemisphere, which is the ideal time for winter sports.

IOC runs everything. The International Olympic Committee, or IOC, is the organization that makes all the big decisions about the Winter Olympics and makes sure all the rules are fair.

Italy hosts 2026. The next Winter Olympics after 2022 will be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy in 2026, followed by the French Alps in 2030.