Cory Thiesse of Duluth and Korey Dropkin of Southborough, Mass., did something Sunday no American mixed doubles curling team had managed since the event joined the Olympic program in 2018.
They played their way into the medal round.
The Americans, world champions in 2023, rebounded from a bruising two-loss Saturday with two wins Sunday that punched their ticket to the playoff field — the first U.S. mixed doubles team to do so in Olympic-era competition.
Thiesse and Dropkin opened the day with a 5-3 win over Estonia, stealing a point in the eighth and final end to secure it. They followed with an 8-7 victory over Sweden in the evening session, a game that ended without the Americans needing to throw the final stone despite holding hammer in the eighth.
The turnaround capped a weekend that tested both nerve and resilience, and it put the United States squarely into medal contention on the sport’s biggest stage.
“Seeing Cory and Korey secure a spot in the Olympic Games playoff field is an incredible moment for our country and sport,” said USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell, in a statement provided by USA Curling. “This result reflects years of dedication, resilience, and belief by the athletes and coaching staff, and we’re proud to see Team USA competing for a medal on the world’s biggest stage.”
The Americans will close round-robin play against Italy, the 2022 Olympic gold medalists, in a matchup that could determine second and third place in the standings. Italy enters the game at 5-3, while the United States sits at 6-2.
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