The United States mixed doubles curling team of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin opened their Olympic campaign with wins over Norway and Switzerland on Thursday at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. They defeated the 2022 silver medalists from Norway 8-6 in a tight contest before securing a 7-4 victory against Switzerland. Both teams from the Duluth Curling Club in Minnesota earned perfect 2-0 records in round-robin play.
Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin, making their Olympic debut, faced a formidable challenge in their first match against Norway's Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten, who earned silver in 2022 and bronze in 2018. The Americans took an early 1-0 lead in the first end but trailed 6-4 heading into the seventh. Thiesse's precise shot in the seventh end tied the score at 6-6, and in the eighth, Norway's final stone failed to curl sufficiently, allowing the U.S. to steal two points for the 8-6 win.
Later that afternoon, the U.S. team showed greater control against Switzerland's Briar Schwaller-Hürlimann and Yannick Schwaller. After Switzerland led 2-1 in the second end, Thiesse knocked out a Swiss stone in the third for a 3-2 advantage. The Americans extended their lead to 5-2 by the fourth end and maintained dominance, stealing points in the first and fourth ends. A strong defensive strategy in the later ends, including clearing the house, forced Switzerland to concede early in the eighth, resulting in the 7-4 victory.
Thiesse and Dropkin, who won the 2023 World Mixed Doubles Championship and qualified through the 2025 trials and worlds, play out of the Duluth Curling Club. Dropkin, a three-time U.S. junior champion, has prior mixed doubles success with Sarah Anderson. The venue, renovated from the 1956 Olympics, hosts mixed doubles, men's, and women's events. Round-robin play continues Friday against undefeated Canada at 4:05 a.m. EST and Czechia at 8:35 a.m. EST, with streaming available and the Czechia match on USA Network.
