What was the first winter sport included in the Olympic Games, in 1908?

Figure skating was the first winter sport included in the Olympic Games, appearing at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.

The competition was held on 28–29 October at the Prince's Skating Club in Knightsbridge, months after most of the London Games. Four events were contested: men's singles, ladies' singles, pairs, and men's special figures. The indoor ice rink made it possible to stage a winter sport during a Summer Olympics.

This was not yet a separate Winter Olympics. The first Winter Games were held in Chamonix in 1924, and figure skating has been part of every Winter Olympics since then. It also returned at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, making the 1908 appearance the beginning of its Olympic history rather than a one-off experiment.

A common mix-up is to name 1924 as figure skating's Olympic debut. That was its first appearance at a dedicated Winter Olympics; its first Olympic appearance of any kind was in 1908.