American mixed doubles curlers Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin have secured their spot in the medal contention, having triumphed in both of their Sunday round-robin games, thereby progressing to the tournament’s semi-final stage—a first for the duo.
Their initial victory came against Estonia’s Marie Kaldvee and Harri Lill, with a final score of 5-3. This win positioned the U.S. team favorably for a playoff berth, ensuring they would finish among the top four contenders. However, the pair still required an additional win against either Sweden later on Sunday or Italy on Monday to solidify their advancement.
Against Isabella and Rasmus Wranaa during their second Sunday encounter, the American contingent initially struggled, conceding the opening end 3-0. Thiesse and Dropkin swiftly equalized by claiming the second end with an identical 3-0 score, only for the Swedish pair to regain the lead with a 1-0 advantage in the third end.
The U.S. squad then established a significant lead over the subsequent two ends, accumulating a total 4-0 point difference, which left Sweden with a challenging deficit for the last three rounds. Nevertheless, the Wranaa partnership mounted a comeback across the sixth and seventh ends, securing a combined 3-0 score to level the contest at 7-7 before the conclusive frame.
During the deciding eighth end, Dropkin successfully performed a double takeout, thereby securing that end and the overall victory for himself and Thiesse, establishing them as the inaugural U.S. team to compete in the Olympic mixed doubles curling semifinals.
Korey Dropkin celebrates Team USA’s win with Cory Thiesse over Sweden to advanced to the semifinals in the mixed doubles curling competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Achieving these two victories brings the U.S. team’s round-robin standing to 6-2, placing them second only to Great Britain, who boasts an 8-1 record. Italy (5-3) and Sweden (5-4) complete the quartet of teams progressing to the medal stage.
Great Britain had already guaranteed their playoff spot before Sunday’s matches, holding a 7-1 record, and further extended their dominance with an additional triumph against Norway.
Thiesse and Dropkin commenced Saturday’s competition with an unblemished 4-0 record, but then experienced setbacks, losing to Great Britain and unexpectedly falling to South Korea. Consequently, the U.S. contingent required two additional victories to move forward.
Nevertheless, the U.S. team initially trailed Estonia, dropping the first end 1-0. They restored parity by claiming the second end 1-0. This initiated a seesaw battle, which ultimately left Team USA facing a 3-2 deficit as the sixth end began.
The sixth frame proved pivotal for the American squad. Thiesse had a chance to score three points, but her stone unfortunately collided with a guard, halting just shy of the house. This outcome meant the U.S. only secured one point from the end, bringing the match score to a 3-3 tie.
Despite this, Thiesse and Dropkin concluded their strong finish by taking the subsequent two sets. During the seventh, the U.S. emerged victorious after Kaldvee’s attempt to dislodge a stone went wide. Then, in the eighth, Team USA precisely positioned a stone atop the button. Kaldvee’s second effort to remove the rock also fell short of its mark, failing to clear it sufficiently.
The concluding round-robin fixture for Team USA is scheduled for Monday against Italy at 4:05 a.m. ET, though their progression to the semifinals has already been confirmed. The medal competition is slated to commence later that Monday at 12:05 p.m. ET, with specific pairings finalized following the last draw.
