2026 Winter Olympics

After Swedish curler Oskar Eriksson accused Canadian vice-skip Marc Kennedy of cheating last week, everyone has become an expert in curling rules. They’re missing the point.

Nearly 50 out LGBTQ+ Olympians are participating in events throughout the Winter Games—even as their rights to speak and compete are under attack.

On Friday, the US Olympic skater known as the “Quad God” will compete in his last event of the 2026 Winter Games. Everyone will be watching to see if he does his famous quad axel—and a backflip, too.

If throwing stones and sweeping ice seem strange to you, the centuries-old history of the sport explains why it became so beloved.