Team USA Wins Silver in Dramatic Curling Final

Two American curlers just gave us one of the most thrilling finishes of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and they're coming home with silver medals around their necks.

Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse battled Sweden's brother-sister duo Rasmus and Isabella Wranå in Tuesday's mixed doubles curling final. The score went back and forth until the very last throw, with Sweden ultimately winning 6-5.

The Americans fought hard after a shaky start. Down 4-3 heading into the final end, Dropkin made a clutch throw that completely changed the game's momentum. That allowed Thiesse to score and put Team USA ahead 5-4, putting all the pressure on Sweden.

In the eighth and final end, the Americans' stone went just a bit too far. That small mistake left an opening for Sweden to steal the win with their last throw.

"Obviously would have loved to come home with a gold medal, but Sweden earned that," Dropkin said. "I'm so darn proud of us."

The team finished third in preliminary rounds with a 6-3 record, then squeaked past Italy 9-8 in the semifinals to guarantee themselves a medal. They entered the final as unexpected favorites after Sweden shocked powerhouse Great Britain in the other semifinal.

The Bright Side

This silver medal marks only the third Olympic curling medal in U.S. history. The achievement joins the men's bronze from 2006 and John Shuster's stunning gold medal run in 2018.

Even more significant? Thiesse becomes the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in curling. That's a barrier broken and a door opened for future generations.

"It's been a long time coming," Thiesse said. "I'm really proud and honored to be standing up there and to use this to move women's curling in the U.S. forward and do what we can as players and as mentors to hopefully see more women from the United States up on that podium some day."

The match showcased everything great about Olympic competition: incredible skill, nail-biting drama, and athletes who gave everything they had on sport's biggest stage. Sometimes silver shines just as bright.