us womens curling — Team Peterson clinches first medal-round berth as men's side falters

Team Peterson has pushed the U. S. women's curling program into the medal conversation, securing the squad's first berth in the medal round at the Milan-Cortina Games. The milestone comes as the U. S. men's team suffered back-to-back setbacks that leave its semifinal hopes in doubt with two round-robin games remaining.

Team Peterson delivers timely momentum for U. S. women's curling

The women's squad led by Peterson has reached the medal round, marking a major lift for the U. S. side at these Olympics. That advancement provides both validation and breathing room: the team can now sharpen strategy for the knockout stage rather than fighting just to survive the round robin.

This progression will allow the women to review opponents, fine-tune shot selection and monitor ice behavior ahead of medal play. For a squad that has handled pressure through the early rounds, the extra time to prepare is a competitive advantage—particularly on ice that has required constant adjustment from teams this week.

Men's campaign hit by shaky late-end execution and narrow losses

The men's team dropped a key round-robin game to China, 8-5, after a pivotal misplayed draw in the eighth end that turned into a three-point steal for the opponent. With hammer and a wide-open four-foot for the draw to the button, skip Danny Casper's stone slid long into the eight-foot. U. S. third Aidan Oldenburg said the sweepers misread the weight.

"It was a bit of a misread by Ben (Richardson) and I on the sweep there, " Oldenburg said. "Because he threw it good enough to make it and it’s our job as sweepers to make that draw for him in the eighth. " Casper bounced back in the ninth, executing a takeout that produced three and tied the game, but the Americans were unable to manufacture the steal they needed in the 10th. The opposition cashed three in the final end to seal the victory.

Casper reflected on the team's execution challenges and the effect of changing ice conditions. "I think we just struggled making shots, executing, throwing the right weight, everything really, " he said. He downplayed the team's day off as a primary factor, instead pointing to altered stone behavior after officials sandpapered the bottoms and the squad's failure to capitalize on early openings.

The loss dropped the U. S. men to 4-3, leaving them tied for fourth place in the standings with Great Britain. With only the top four advancing to semifinals, every remaining round-robin fixture carries enormous weight. Oldenburg emphasized the short-term reset the team needs: "We're going to reset and go get it tonight. We have two games left in round-robin, so every game counts at this point. "

What to watch next: preparation, ice reading and execution

For the U. S. women's side, the focus will shift to game-planning for medal-round opponents and conserving the form that earned them a berth. The men must prioritize regaining consistency—especially on draws and early-end placement—to avoid slipping further in the standings.

The men's squad is scheduled to return to the ice at 1: 05 p. m. ET to face Italy, a matchup that will be pivotal in determining whether they can steady their trajectory into the final two round-robin games. Both U. S. teams face a compressed window to adapt to ice changes and to sharpen sweeping coordination, shot weight and strategy as the Olympic tournament moves toward its decisive stages.

With the women's team buoyed by a medal-round berth and the men's team scrambling to reclaim footing, the next 48 hours will shape the U. S. curling storylines for the rest of these Games.