Mapleton's Aidan Oldenburg will compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics as the lead for the United States men's curling team. His squad earned the spot by defeating the 2018 Olympic gold medalists in a close series. Oldenburg, who started curling at age 10, described the honor as surreal.
Aidan Oldenburg, from Mapleton, Minnesota, has thrived in high-pressure situations, from juggling flaming torches at the Blue Earth County Fair to now preparing for Olympic curling. He began curling for fun at age 10 through the Mankato Curling Club and committed fully after high school graduation.
In January 2020, Oldenburg's team qualified for the junior national tournament in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he earned rookie all-star honors. In August 2021, they reached the finals but lost to a team including Danny Casper, now the skip for the 2026 U.S. squad.
This year's team—featuring Oldenburg as lead, Ben Richardson, Luc Violette, and alternate Rich Ruohonen—faced a tough challenge to secure their Olympic berth. They overcame the defending champions John Shuster, Tyler George, Matt Hamilton, and Mankato's John Landsteiner with a 7-6, 6-7, 7-5 victory. That 2018 Pyeongchang gold-medal team had inspired Oldenburg as a teenager; he stayed up late watching their win.
"It’s kind of crazy to me," Oldenburg said. "I remember when I was like 16/17 years old, when (USA) won gold in 2018... That was incredible to me."
As lead, Oldenburg throws the team's first two stones, setting up plays like opening moves in chess, then sweeps on the other end. To stay calm, he juggles—without fire this time. At least a dozen family members will travel to Milan to support him.
"To have my name said alongside those guys is an incredible honor," he added. "To be part of Team USA in the Olympics… there’s so many incredible athletes and people that I’ve looked up to."
The Americans' Olympic campaign begins February 11, 2026, at 12:05 p.m. against Czechia.
