Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse of Team USA are set to compete in the mixed doubles curling gold medal match against Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The final begins at 12:05 p.m. ET and can be watched on NBC Sports or streamed on Peacock. Dropkin, from Southborough, Massachusetts, brings a strong record including the 2023 World Mixed Doubles Championship.
Team USA's Path to the Final
Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse earned their spot in the 2026 Winter Olympics by winning the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Mixed Doubles Curling in February 2025 and securing qualification at the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Championship. The pair, who play out of the Duluth Curling Club in Minnesota, previously captured the World Mixed Doubles Championship in 2023. Dropkin has a notable history, including two mixed doubles national championships with Sarah Anderson at Stevens Point, Wisconsin, in 2015-16, three U.S. junior national titles (2016, 2013, 2012), and two USA Curling Male Athlete of the Year awards.
Understanding Curling Basics
Curling originated in Scotland, with the first recognized clubs formed in the 19th century, though earlier evidence dates to 1540 in Paisley, Scotland, and 16th-century Flemish paintings depict similar activities on frozen ponds. The sport involves sliding granite stones, weighing 38 to 44 pounds (average 42 pounds) and sourced from Ailsa Craig in Scotland, across ice toward a target called the house.
Teams use brooms to sweep the ice, influencing the stone's path and distance. A standard game features 6 to 10 ends, with only one team scoring per end based on stones closest to the house center. The team with the stone nearest the pin earns one point, plus additional points for each of their stones closer than the opponent's nearest. The last throw, known as the hammer, provides a strategic advantage.
In mixed doubles, teams may use a power play once per game, allowing control over the placement of pre-positioned stones at the start of an end.
Local Support for Dropkin
Algonquin Regional High School in Massachusetts hosted a watch party for its alumnus Dropkin, setting up three rooms to follow the competition.
The match offers Team USA a chance for an upset victory, highlighting the strategic depth of curling, often compared to chess.
