By Ben Hoppe, U.S. curling writer
Heading into this Olympic Qualifying Event, the possibility that the United States might not send a four-person team to the Winter Olympics was an unfortunate reality. After each team dropped games early in the eight-team, round-robin event, the teams had no wiggle room.
But when it mattered most, Team Peterson and Team Casper locked in and took care of business in Kelowna, B.C. In an event where most countries were the sole representatives at the event, the U.S. men and women were able to rely on each other and cooperate to have a successful week.
"Having both groups here, I think, was an advantage," Tabitha Peterson said after the game. "Getting more information on the ice from the men and the rocks. We worked as a whole group of 13 of us to achieve this today for both teams."
Both teams advancing to the 2026 Winter Olympics is a huge victory for them, but it also helps to maximize the impending surge of curling popularity the United States sees every four years. Clubs can bank on having U.S. men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles teams on their televisions this February and as they promote the sport at home.
CASPER'S PATIENCE PAYS OFF
The week at the Olympic Qualification Event didn’t get off to the smoothest start for Team Casper. They weren’t quite as sharp as they wanted to be to start the event, and every end seemed like a battle.
As they have done all year long, they maintained their poise. The young, rising American stars adapted and exhibited patience not often seen in younger teams.
As the round-robin progressed, they let the game come to them instead of trying to force the issue. When the opportunities to score did come, they relied on their ability to execute shots as a team.
Their willingness to be patient was put on display again on Wednesday night in the first men’s Olympic qualification game. After giving up two points in the first end, it looked like Casper might have a shot to respond with a big end in the second, but a miss would have meant a steal and a three-point deficit. Deciding to just take the point and move on, Casper made the patient play to draw for one.
Their measured approach would pay off as they went on to steal three consecutive ends and never gave China an easy shot. The game was summarized in the ninth end when Xu Xiaoming’s final stone, a draw, somehow avoided all three of the clustered U.S. rocks. Casper made the draw for four, and the celebration was on.
It was a true team effort. In addition to Casper’s fantastic shotmaking, second Ben Richardson shot 93 per cent, and vice Luc Violette surged with an impressive second-half performance. Aidan Oldenburg had his best game of the tournament, throwing 94 per cent from the lead position. While he shot well, it was his ability to make shots for his teammates with his sweeping that put Team Casper in great situations all game long. The headband-adorned lead made rocks dance all across the sheet, sweeping good shots into great shots, and great shots into perfect shots.
In his post-game interview with Devin Heroux, the skip credited his family, along with his trials competitors Korey Dropkin, John Shuster, and Caden Hebert, who helped the team be ready for the tough slog of the Olympic Qualification Event. He also made sure to credit the coaches' bench, which included Jordan Moulton and 52-year-old alternate Rich Ruohonen, who have been vital in the team’s continued development.
Moulton deserves credit for Team Casper’s team dynamics and composed approach, and Ruohonen, who has been just shy of qualifying for the Olympics for two decades, knows a thing or two about having to wait for good things to come.
Now, they have to be patient just a little while longer as they await their next big opportunity, the 2026 Winter Olympics.
PETERSON PREVAILS IN DO-OR-DIE MATCH
It seems only fitting that the Olympic Qualification Event turned out to be a microcosm of the last season and a half for Tabitha Peterson’s squad.
The team that had relied on a carousel of subs found themselves in an eerily similar scenario when they faced off against Norway in the second game of round-robin play. The illness that was going around the OQE caught up with the skip, forcing her to sit out for the game. But just like last season, the team persevered.
Vice Cory Thiesse took up the skip role for the game, and alternate Aileen Geving stepped in to hold the broom for Thiesse and throw second stones. The team managed to pull out a win against Norway, but they dropped their next game against Czechia, putting their backs up against the wall for the rest of the event. The team, though, remained strong.
As the week went along and with Peterson back on the ice, the team got into a rhythm. Despite all the adversity faced throughout the week, they would have found themselves in the first qualification game had Japan managed to beat Norway in the final game of round-robin play.
Instead, while Japan defeated Norway in the first qualification match, the U.S. got the day off to rest, recuperate from a long six days, and support Team Casper in their qualification game. Norway and the United States would face off on Thursday, with the winner going to Italy, and the other watching from home.
The resilience Team Peterson has exhibited in the past few years showed once again in the final qualification match of the women’s event. They gave up a score of three in the second end, and instead of panicking, they kept everything in perspective.
“We knew that it was early in the game,” Thiesse said. “Ten ends, anything can happen.”
Their positive outlook didn’t take long to bear fruit.
In the very next end, it looked like they might get forced to a single point, but Thiesse made a key shot, which was followed by a miss from Norway, setting up a three-point response.
Just like Team Casper the night before, Peterson stole three ends in a row to take command of the game, and the skipper made a soft-weight hit in the ninth end to take a four-point lead coming home.
All four players shot 89 per cent or better in the pressure-packed game, and when Peterson ran Norway out of rocks, the emotions of what the women had just accomplished hit them in full force, thanks to the support of each other and those around them.
“This last four years with this group of girls, new moms, and navigating through so much life in the last four years,” Thiesse reflected.
“There’s a lot of life happening outside of curling, too, and we could not do this without so many people.”
They celebrated together as teammates. They celebrated with their coaches. And now, they celebrate with their families as they get to prepare for their next big adventure.
