Google has launched its first Doodle dedicated to the 2026 Winter Olympics, marking the beginning of a series expected to highlight events from the upcoming global sporting spectacle.

The tech giant chose curling as the opening feature, unveiling an animated logo that depicts an athlete sliding a curling stone across the ice.

The animated Doodle appears on Google’s homepage and captures a moment familiar to curling fans; the controlled push of a stone gliding toward its target. Accompanying the artwork, Google noted that the illustration honours the sport of curling.

The 2026 Winter Olympics, formally known as the XXV Winter Olympic Games and widely referred to as Milano Cortina 2026, will be held from 6 to 22 February across venues in Lombardy and northeastern Italy. The Games will bring together athletes from around the world to compete in a range of winter sports.

Google’s Doodles have evolved significantly since their modest beginnings.

The company’s first altered logo appeared in 1998, when founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin inserted a playful graphic to signal they were attending the Burning Man festival.

What began as a simple out-of-office indicator has since grown into a creative tradition, with more than 5,000 Doodles produced to commemorate historic events, cultural icons and global celebrations.