Team USA Advances to Mixed Curling Gold Medal Match as Winter Olympics Competition Continues

Competition continued Tuesday at the Winter Olympics, and Team USA is guaranteed at least one more medal after a dramatic win in the mixed doubles curling semifinals.

The United States defeated Italy 9–8 in the semifinal round, punching its ticket to the gold medal match against Sweden. Italy, the defending Olympic and world champion, needed at least one point on the final shot to stay alive, but Team USA’s Corey Thiesse delivered a decisive shot to seal the victory.

After the match, Thiesse said it was a week-long grind for the American team and called reaching the gold medal game a proud moment as they now aim to finish with gold.

In women’s speed skating, the Netherlands dominated the 1,000-meter race, finishing first and second. Jutta Leerdam won gold, setting an Olympic record, while her teammate Femke Kok took silver after briefly holding the record moments earlier. Among those celebrating Leerdam’s performance was her fiancé, YouTuber Jake Paul.

Four-time Olympian Brittany Bowe narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth, as did U.S. flag bearer Erin Jackson.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s women’s downhill gold medalist Breezy Johnson shared some lighthearted advice for fellow medal winners, joking that athletes should be careful celebrating too hard after she damaged her medal while jumping in excitement.

As for the medal standings, Italy currently leads in total medals with nine, including one gold, two silver, and six bronze. Japan, Norway, Switzerland, and Germany round out the top five. The United States sits in seventh place overall with two medals so far, both gold, trailing just behind Germany and Austria.

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