Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 Preview: Curling

The iconic Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium will once again welcome the world’s top curlers as they compete for Olympic and Paralympic medals. The venue was originally built for the 1956 Winter Olympics — the first held in Italy — and was where the Opening Ceremony and figure skating events took place. In preparation for the 2026 Olympics, the mountain venue, which holds 35,000 spectators, underwent major renovations and modernization with a special focus on innovation and accessibility.

Curling first appeared at the inaugural Winter Olympics in 1924 in Chamonix, France. However, it did not become a full medal Olympic sport with both men’s and women’s events until the Olympic Winter Games Nagano 1998. In 2006, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) retroactively awarded medals for the 1924 competition. Before its permanent inclusion in 1998, curling was held as a demonstrative sport at three Olympics, with the first time occurring in 1932. The Olympic program expanded again in 2018 with the introduction of mixed doubles.


Played on ice, curling involves teams sliding heavy stones toward a target known as the house. The objective of curling is to position your stones closer than your opponents to the center by combining precise delivery, tactical planning and sweeping the ice to influence speed and direction. Each team is led by a skip, who determines strategy and shot selection, playing a central role in the outcome of the game.

The 2018 Winter Olympics PyeongChang marked a historic moment for Team USA curling, as the men’s team — with John Shuster as skip — captured the nation’s first-ever Olympic gold in the event. Previously, the U.S. had earned a bronze in 2006 (at Turin), led by Pete Fenson.



The women's curling team is aiming for its first-ever medal after just missing the final medal round playoff at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

More than half of the 10-member U.S. curling team will be making their Olympic debuts in Milano Cortina, including all the men. The men’s team is led by skip Danny Casper, who played a key role in halting Shuster’s bid for a sixth Games appearance. Team Casper defeated Team Shuster in a dramatic best-of-three final at the trials, bringing Shuster’s two-decade run to an end and marking a clear changing of the guard in U.S. curling.

At the qualification event in Quebec in December, Team Casper earned their Olympic berth by defeating China. This achievement is especially remarkable given Casper’s battle with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, which sidelined him for part of the 2024-25 season and at times affects his mobility and hand strength, with teammates stepping in to help when needed.

On the women’s side, Team Peterson secured the final U.S. spot for Milano Cortina by winning the qualification event in Canada and defeating Norway in the final. Skip Tabitha Peterson Lovick, who finished sixth at the 2022 Olympics, leads the team alongside her younger sister Tara; the two began curling together when Tabitha was only 10.

The U.S. Mixed Doubles team of Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse locked in their Olympic spot by winning trials and followed it up with a top-five finish at the world championships. Curling runs deep in both of their families, with Dropkin’s older brother Stephen and Thiesse’s mother having previously represented Team USA. Thiesse is making a second run at a medal after finishing eighth at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang.

The stones will hit the ice starting with Mixed Doubles round robin play for Team USA on February 5. Medal matches will take place on: 

February 10 (Mixed Doubles)

February 20 (Men’s Bronze Medal Match)

February 21 (Women’s Bronze Medal Match; Men’s Gold Medal Match)

February 22 (Women’s Gold Medal Match)