Surprise! US women's curling team beats Canada for first time at an Olympic Games
The U. S. women's curling team produced a shocker Friday in Cortina D'Ampezzo, edging Canada 9-8 to record the first Olympic victory over the perennial powerhouse. The nail-biting result left the Americans beaming and Canada searching for answers as the round-robin continues.
A historic milestone
Until Friday, the American women had never beaten Canada at the Olympic Games, where the Canadian women have medaled at every edition since curling returned in 1998. The 9-8 result rewrites a long-standing pattern and handed the U. S. a landmark win on one of the sport's biggest stages. The U. S. men previously recorded their first Olympic victory over Canada in the 2018 semifinal.
How the match was decided
The U. S. capitalized on a handful of uncharacteristic misses by Canada to eke out the one-point margin. It was a back-and-forth contest that came down to the final stones, and when it ended the American rink strode down the ice together and raised their fists in collective celebration. Players on both sides acknowledged that small lapses and a few missed opportunities proved decisive in a match that might otherwise have gone either way.
The roster behind the win
The winning American lineup blends elite ambition with everyday life. Skip Tabitha Peterson leads a unit that includes her sister Tara Peterson, Taylor Anderson-Heide and steady Cory Thiesse, with Aileen Geving serving as alternate. Thiesse has already added a mixed-doubles silver medal at these Games to her résumé. Off the ice, several team members balance careers and parenthood: Tara works as a dentist, Tabitha is a pharmacist, Thiesse is a lab technician, and three of the women are mothers of young children. Those dual demands and life experience were front and center as the Americans celebrated a rare and meaningful victory.
Canada's response and what needs to change
Canada's lineup, long considered among the best in the world, struggled to find its usual consistency. Shot-making dipped across positions through the opening games, and the skip conceded that the team simply wasn't making its normal shots. Even with the loss, Canadian players showed resilience and stayed positive on the ice, but the result underscores how little margin for error exists at these Games. If Canada wants to avoid further upsets, sharper shooting and cleaner ends are essential.
Implications for the tournament
The Americans improved to 2-1 in the early round-robin after mixing this landmark victory with a win over Korea and a loss to Sweden. With several matches remaining before the semifinals next Friday (ET), momentum can be a powerful currency. For the U. S., Tuesday's result is likely to bolster confidence and belief; for Canada, it is a warning that past reputation will not carry a team through if execution wavers. Both teams still control their destiny but must level up quickly to secure a top-four finish and a shot at the medals.
