Team USA’s Youth Movement in Curling Ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics

As the 2026 Winter Olympics approach, Team USA is embracing a wave of fresh talent, particularly in curling.

For nearly two decades, John Shuster has been a familiar face for the U.S. men’s curling team. Since 2006, he’s been a staple at the Olympics, leading Team USA to notable moments, including a bronze in Turin and a gold medal victory against a favored Swedish squad in 2018.

However, this year marks a shift with new talent emerging on the scene.

Daniel Casper, a young player, recently secured a victory against Shuster’s team at the U.S. Olympic Trials, propelling his all-young squad to represent Team USA in Milan-Cortina for the 2026 Olympics. On the women’s side, Tabitha Peterson will make her third Olympic appearance. While she has experience, her team’s ages range from 30 to 36, showing a mix of fresh faces and seasoned players. The mixed doubles team features debutants aged 30 and 31.

While the men’s and women’s tournaments garner significant attention, it’s the mixed doubles curling that has brought excitement, with matches kicking off on February 4th.

Let’s take a look at who’s on Team USA’s roster, how they made it to the Olympics, and what the schedule looks like over the coming two weeks. All games will be broadcast across the U.S. on NBC platforms.

Team USA Representation

Collie Teese and Corey Dropkin are leading the charge for Team USA’s mixed doubles curling team. Known for their engaging social media presence, they also have an impressive track record, having won the 2023 Mixed Doubles World Championship and currently holding the No. 6 global ranking.

Teese and Dropkin secured their Olympic spot based on the U.S. rankings at the 2024 and 2025 world championships. Although they missed out on 2024, they managed to reach the playoffs in 2025, where they performed admirably, even defeating a top Canadian pair, which likely solidified their Olympic berth. Notably, Teese excelled with a 90.3% shooting percentage during the tournament.

Both 31 and 30 years old, Teese and Dropkin hail from the Duluth Curling Club and compete in separate men’s and women’s teams. Teese will also act as an alternate for Team USA’s women’s team, while Dropkin’s squad placed third at the U.S. Men’s Olympic Trials last November.

Medal Prospects

Heading into Milan-Cortina, Team USA stands out as one of the medal contenders in mixed doubles, currently ranked 3rd among participating teams. They’ve demonstrated their capability and secured a place in the medal rounds, finishing strongly in the round-robin matches.

Their solid start had them dominating early qualifiers, achieving a 4-0 record initially, defeating strong competitors like Norway and Switzerland. Yet, in a surprising turn, they faced elimination against top seeds Great Britain and South Korea, despite clinching significant wins against Estonia and Sweden. They ended up just shy against Italy in their final game.

The semifinals will see four teams: Great Britain, Italy, USA, and Sweden, all fighting for places ahead of the ultimate showdown. Despite strong efforts, Italy managed to secure a favorable position, resulting in a rematch against Team USA in the semifinals.

Currently, Great Britain is favored for gold while Team USA is striving to capitalize on their strong round-robin performance.

• Round Robin: February 4th – 9th
• Semi-finals: February 9th (18:05 local time, 12:05 PM ET)
• Bronze Medal Match: February 10th (14:05 local time, 8:05 AM ET)
• Gold Medal Match: February 10th (18:05 local time, 12:05 PM ET)

Mixed Doubles Round Robin Schedule

Team USA Representation

After the dominance of Team Shuster in previous Olympic cycles, a newer, younger team is now set to represent Team USA in Cortina.

• Skip: Daniel Casper
• 3rd Place: Luc Violette
• 2nd Place: Ben Richardson
• Star: Aidan Oldenburg
• Substitute: Rich Ruohonen

Remarkably, all four primary members of Team Casper are under 27 years old. Officially from the Chaska Curling Club in the Twin Cities, Casper, a 24-year-old from New York, leads a talented young roster after joining forces with Violette and Richardson in 2022. They’ve since added Oldenburg to the mix after a semifinal defeat to Team Shuster in the 2024 National Championship.

Interestingly, Ruohonen, the backup at 54, brings a wealth of experience from his time with previous Olympic teams, having been a key player in notable tournaments throughout his career.

Team Casper earned their spot for the Olympics by defeating Shuster’s team at the U.S. Olympic Trials last November, triumphing in a nail-biting playoff after struggling initially against the same team in the round-robin. Since there wasn’t an automatic berth, they went on to a qualifying event in Canada, finishing strong to secure their place in Milan-Cortina.

Medal Prospects

While Team Casper isn’t currently seen as one of the top medal contenders, they could surprise as a dark horse among the more seasoned competitors. Their journey to qualify has provided them with valuable experience, which may boost their performance in the coming week.

Top contenders include Canada, even without 2014 champion Brad Jacobs, Great Britain’s Bruce Muat, and Sweden’s defending champion Niklas Edin. Team Casper is not quite in this elite group yet but could make waves depending on how they perform.

• Round Robin: February 11th – 19th
• Semi-finals: February 19th (7:05 PM local, 1:05 PM ET)
• Bronze Medal Match: February 20th (7:05 PM local, 1:05 PM ET)
• Gold Medal Match: February 21st (7:05 PM local, 1:05 PM ET)

Team USA Men’s Round Robin Schedule

Team USA Women’s Round Robin Schedule