The United States is one win away from Olympic gold in mixed doubles curling after a pulse-pounding semifinal that silenced the home crowd in Cortina.
Americans Corey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse edged Italy 9-8 in a back-and-forth showdown that ended with the final stone settling in the U.S. favor. The result sends the American duo into the gold medal match and guarantees the country its first Olympic medal in the mixed doubles discipline.
Dropkin’s reaction said everything. He celebrated with fist pumps and shouts toward a small but vocal group of American supporters, embracing the moment with a level of emotion rarely associated with curling’s traditional reserve. His partner Thiesse, more measured in demeanor, shared the embrace after the final points were confirmed, fully aware that history had just been made.
For Thiesse, the achievement carries additional significance. The Minnesota native becomes the first woman to win an Olympic curling medal for the United States, accomplishing the feat in her Olympic debut.
The semifinal win was especially meaningful given the opponent. Italy’s Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner were the defending Olympic champions and enjoyed thunderous support throughout the week inside the Cortina Curling Stadium. The Italians had already defeated the Americans earlier in the day, making the turnaround even more striking as the semifinal unfolded.
In the other semifinal, Sweden’s brother and sister team of Isabella and Rasmus Wrana delivered a statement performance, overwhelming Great Britain 9-3 in just seven ends. The Swedes rebounded from a rocky round-robin stretch to earn a spot in the final, underscoring the unpredictability that defines mixed doubles play.
Italy and Great Britain will now face off in the bronze medal match, while the United States and Sweden prepare for a title clash that will determine the first mixed doubles curling gold medalist of the Milan Cortina Games.