CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin have achieved Olympic glory, securing a silver medal in the mixed doubles curling event at the 2026 Winter Olympics held on February 10. The duo, affectionately known as “Girl Cory” and “Boy Korey,” fell just short in the gold-medal match, losing 6-5 to Sweden.
This year marked the third Winter Olympics featuring mixed doubles curling, and the performance of Thiesse and Dropkin earned Team USA its first-ever medal in this discipline. “It’s certainly bittersweet. We would have loved to have won the gold today, but it’s huge to be on that podium,” Thiesse reflected after the match. “The whole goal of this team was to make it to the Olympics, and we made it here, and we’re going home with a medal. We just can’t ask for much more.”
In the medal standings, Sweden topped the podium while Italy claimed the bronze after defeating Great Britain 5-3 in a match earlier that day.
Thiesse and Dropkin’s journey to the final included an impressive victory over Sweden in the round-robin stage, where they triumphed 8-7 to secure their semifinal berth. However, they faced a setback in their last round-robin match against Italy, losing 7-6 on Monday morning. They rebounded by besting the home team in the semifinals with a nail-biting 9-8 win, which set them up for their gold medal showdown.
On the day of the final, the pair navigated an unexpected delay when their bus was snarled in heavy traffic, prompting them to exit and walk to the stadium. “Luckily he let us,” Thiesse shared, noting that the detour was not detrimental to their focus. She credited sports psychologist Carly Anderson for their ability to “expect the unexpected” amidst the pressures of the Olympics.
During the final, Team USA led 1-0 after the first and third ends, but Sweden capitalized to take a 3-2 lead after four ends. A crucial yellow stone from Thiesse and Dropkin in the fifth end leveled the scores at 3-3, igniting cheers from an enthusiastic crowd sporting American flags. Dropkin expressed appreciation for the support, stating it energized the duo and elevated the experience.
As the match progressed, Team USA managed to edge ahead with a 5-4 lead entering the eighth end. However, the Americans fell short in shot accuracy, recording a shot success percentage of 73% compared to Sweden’s 83%. Ultimately, an overpowered last stone from Thiesse and Dropkin in the eighth end sealed their silver medal victory.
The silver medal represents the culmination of years dedicated to curling for Thiesse, 31, and Dropkin, 30. Their paths began separately before they became a formidable mixed doubles team. After they won separate junior national titles in 2012 and first senior national titles in 2021, their partnership soared. In 2023, they made history as the first U.S. mixed doubles pair to win a world championship.
Now, as Olympic medalists, the excitement continues for this dynamic duo. When asked where they would keep their medals, Thiesse and Dropkin shared a light-hearted moment, with Dropkin jokingly saying the medal is currently around his neck. Thiesse chimed in, saying she might “sleep with it for a little while.”
Their journey inspires many, showcasing dedication and teamwork that has paved the way for a new chapter in American curling history.