Sweden's sibling duo of Isabella and Rasmus Wranå claimed Olympic gold in mixed doubles curling, defeating the United States 6-5 in a tense final decided by the last stone. The victory marks Sweden's first gold in the event, while Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin secured silver for the first U.S. medal in mixed doubles. Italy took bronze with a 5-3 win over Great Britain.
In the gold medal match at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, Sweden's Isabella and Rasmus Wranå overcame an early stumble in the round-robin to edge the United States 6-5. The siblings, who won the 2024 world championship, trailed briefly but capitalized on American errors in the eighth end. Isabella Wranå delivered the decisive takeout on her final throw, removing the U.S. yellow stone for two points and the victory. "It's the last shot and you know if you make it, it's an Olympic gold," she said. "But I felt like we kept the calm."
The U.S. pair, Thiesse and Dropkin, made history with silver—their country's first in mixed doubles since its Olympic debut in 2018 and Thiesse's first as the inaugural American woman to medal in curling. They went 6-3 in round-robin play and upset defending champions Italy 9-8 in the semifinals. "We're so proud of the way we played this week," Thiesse said. Dropkin added, "Rasmus and Isabella are great curlers. They deserve this. They played amazing."
Earlier, host Italy's Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner, 2022 Olympic gold medalists, defeated Great Britain 5-3 for bronze amid roaring home support. The Italians stole points in the first and fourth ends to build a lead, with Constantini sealing the win on a precise draw. Britain's Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat, who topped round-robin standings with just one loss, finished fourth for the second straight Olympics. "So close, but so far," Dodds told BBC Sport. "It hurts the same as four years ago."
The mixed doubles event highlighted fine margins, with Sweden's turnaround from three straight losses showcasing resilience. All players now shift to team events, starting Wednesday for men and Thursday for women.
