Which sport was introduced at the 1908 Summer Olympics and later became a Winter Olympic sport? Figure skating. It debuted at the 1908 London Summer Olympics before becoming a regular Winter Olympic sport in 1924.
Figure skating was unusual on the 1908 programme because it required an indoor ice rink. Competitors took part in men’s singles, ladies’ singles, pairs, and special figures; special figures appeared only at those Games. The events were held at the Prince’s Skating Club in Knightsbridge.
The sport also appeared at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. When the Olympic programme separated into Summer and Winter Games, figure skating moved to the inaugural 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix. Men’s singles, women’s singles, and pairs remain core Olympic events.
Ice dance became an Olympic medal event in 1976, while the team event debuted in 2014. Speed skating and ice hockey were already winter sports rather than sports making this unusual Summer-to-Winter transition.