At 24, Danny Casper from Westchester, New York, leads the United States men's curling team into the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, aiming to repeat the gold medal won in 2018. His squad, which includes alternate Rich Ruohonen, a 54-year-old Minnesota lawyer, defeated veteran John Shuster's team in trials. The team blends youth and experience as curling events begin on February 4.
The United States men's curling team enters the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics with high hopes of securing a second gold medal, following their historic victory in Pyeongchang 2018 under John Shuster. This year, 24-year-old Danny Casper from Westchester, New York, serves as captain, or skip, after his team bested Shuster's squad— which has represented the US at the last five Olympics— at the U.S. Olympic Curling Trials.
Casper's teammates include Luc Violette, Ben Richardson, and Aidan Oldenburg, with Rich Ruohonen as alternate. Ruohonen, a 54-year-old plaintiff personal injury lawyer from Minnesota, brings decades of experience; he started curling in 1981 and captained Team USA at the 2018 World Curling Championships, where he helped secure two world titles. Reflecting on his unexpected Olympic role, Ruohonen said, “It was really emotional for me because I thought it was over. I thought I had retired, basically, and even though I’m not playing full time or anything like that, I feel like I’m part of the team. Any way I can help, I’ve helped. Just to make it this time, I told my wife, it’s all worth it.”
Curling runs deep in Casper's family: his great-aunt Carla Casper competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics, and her husband, Tom Casper, coached the US men's team in 1998. Casper himself began the sport at age 12, thanks to his father.
Curling competition at the Olympics starts early on February 4, two days before the opening ceremony, and runs through February 22. The US men's team begins round-robin play on February 11 against Czechia at 1:05 p.m. EST, followed by matches against Switzerland, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Norway, China, Italy, and Great Britain. Semifinals are scheduled for February 19, with the bronze and gold medal games on February 20 and 21, respectively.
The team's generational mix, highlighted in reports from Los Angeles, positions them to challenge for medals in Italy, where events will air on NBC networks and stream on Peacock.