Canada's women's curling team defeated the United States 10-7 in the bronze medal game at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Saturday. Led by skip Rachel Homan, the Canadians scored three points in both the sixth and eighth ends to secure their first Olympic medal in the event since 2014. The U.S. team, skipped by Tabitha Peterson, finished fourth, matching their best Olympic result.
The bronze medal match at the Cortina Curling Center in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, featured a competitive back-and-forth battle between the top-ranked Canadian team and the 13th-ranked Americans. The U.S. started strong, taking a 1-0 lead in the first end with a precise draw from Peterson. Canada responded with a single in the second to tie it at 1-1. Singles were traded in the third and fourth ends, keeping the score level at 2-2.
Entering the fifth end with a 3-2 advantage after another U.S. single, the Americans appeared in control. However, costly mistakes by Tara Peterson and Tabitha Peterson allowed Canada to score three in the sixth, vaulting ahead 5-3. Homan, a three-time world champion seeking her first Olympic medal, capitalized with a simple draw.
The U.S. fought back in the seventh, as Tabitha Peterson executed a delicate draw to tap a Canadian stone and score two, tying the game at 5-5. But Canada pulled away again in the eighth, with Homan drawing for three more after Peterson's triple takeout fell short, making it 8-5.
Peterson kept the Americans alive in the ninth, knocking out a Canadian stone for two points and narrowing the gap to 8-7. In the decisive 10th end, Canada guarded effectively, and Peterson's final takeout attempt ticked off a guard, failing to enter the house. Canada added two for the 10-7 victory.
"The week that we had, the fight that we showed — I’m so incredibly proud of the team and how we fought to get this bronze medal," Homan said. Her teammates Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, and Sarah Wilkes supported with strong play, improving Canada's record to 7-4.
For the U.S., featuring the Peterson sisters, Cory Thiesse, and Taylor Anderson-Heide, the fourth-place finish marked their first playoff appearance since 2002, when they also lost the bronze to Canada. "Really proud. The journey to get here is never easy," Peterson said. Thiesse, who won silver in mixed doubles earlier, played over 190 ends, a Games record. Canada overcame a 1-3 round-robin start to reach the semifinals, where they lost to Sweden; the U.S. fell to Switzerland.
