The United States women's curling team secured a spot in the 2026 Winter Olympics semifinals with a 7-6 extra-end victory over Switzerland on February 19. Tabitha Peterson's precise final draw, swept just an inch closer to the button than the Swiss stones, clinched the win and marked the first U.S. advancement to the medal rounds since 2002. The Americans will rematch Switzerland on Friday, while Sweden faces Canada in the other semifinal.
In Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, the 17th-ranked U.S. team entered its final round-robin game knowing a win over second-ranked Switzerland would guarantee a playoff berth. The match began cautiously, with no points in the first end as the U.S. opted to clear the house and retain the hammer. Peterson then scored the first point in the second end, landing her stone nearly on the button for a 1-0 lead.
Switzerland tied it in the third but the U.S. regained the advantage in the fourth with another button shot, making it 2-1. A defensive strategy in the fifth allowed the Americans to steal a point, extending their lead to 3-1. They added two more in the seventh for a 5-2 cushion, but Switzerland narrowed the gap to 5-3 after the eighth.
In the ninth, Peterson cleared a Swiss stone to score one, leading 6-3 heading into the 10th. However, Swiss vice-skipper Alina Pätz executed a stunning three-point hammer, tying the score at 6-6 and forcing an extra end. With the U.S. holding the last-rock advantage, early misses created tension, but Peterson navigated around Swiss guards for the decisive draw.
"An inch, two inches — it was definitely us," said Tara Peterson, Tabitha's sister and teammate, who helped sweep the stone. Tabitha added, "I just trusted my legs and trusted that my sweepers would get it there." The victory eliminated Great Britain, despite their 7-4 win over Italy, and propelled the U.S. forward.
Meanwhile, Canada rallied with a 10-7 win over South Korea, led by Rachel Homan's four-point sixth end, to join Sweden (7-2 record) in the semifinals. The U.S. team, including mixed doubles silver medalist Cory Thiesse, now eyes a historic medal run.
