The final chance to qualify for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games will take place this December as Kelowna, Canada hosts the Olympic Qualification Event (OQE) 2025.
The city of Kelowna will welcome the fourth edition of this event, with previous editions having taken place in Fuessen, Germany in 2013, Pilsen, Czech Republic in 2017 and Leeuwarden, Netherlands in 2021.
Kelowna has had plenty of experience hosting World Curling competitions, having been the location of the World Women’s in 1986, the World Juniors in 2002, the World Mixed in 2018 and, most recently, the Pan Continental Curling Championships in 2023.
The event will take place at Kelowna Curling Club which has 12 sheets and seating for over 1000 spectators, making it one of the largest and most active curling clubs in the world.
World Curling President, Beau Welling, said: “We are looking forward to another excellent partnership with the Kelowna Curling Club as we return for the Olympic Qualification Event 2025.
“This event will clearly be very important for the teams involved, as they try to secure the final spots available for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games 2026.
“With Kelowna Curling Club’s previous hosting experience, we are absolutely certain that Kelowna will deliver not only great ice and competitive environment but a wonderful total experience for all involved at our final stop before the 2026 Winter Olympics.”
Kelowna Curling Club General Manager, Jock Tyre, said: “Kelowna is very excited to welcome the world back to Kelowna — the Pan Continental Curling Championships left a lasting impression on the city.
“Being a precursor to the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will make this a huge must-see event for the curling enthusiasts.”
Event information
This Olympic Qualification Event will take place from 6-19 December 2025 and will feature three competitions: Women’s, Men’s and Mixed Doubles.
The final two places in each event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games will be decided at the Olympic Qualification Event 2025.
In the Women’s and Men’s competition, the National Olympic Committees which ranked 9–13 from the ranking list created from the results at the 2024 and 2025 world championships, along with the top three National Olympic Committees from the Pre-Qualification Event (which will be held in autumn 2025) will compete.
In the Mixed Doubles competition, any National Olympic Committee’s mixed doubles team that qualified for the 2024 and 2025 world championship, but did not yet qualify for the Olympic Winter Games through points earned at these championships or by hosting the Olympic Winter Games, can compete.
If this results in fewer than 16 teams, then the next highest ranked National Olympic Committee from the official Mixed Doubles World Ranking list (as of 1 May 2025) will be invited until all 16 places are filled at the OQE.
Find more information about the Olympic qualification process here.