US women's curling team beats Canada for first time at Olympics

The American women's curling team pulled off a surprise victory over the powerhouse Canadian team at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The U.S. women's curling team defeated Canada's Team Homan, the top-ranked team in the world, in a 9-8 nail-biter at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. This marked the first time the U.S. has beaten Canada in women's curling at the Olympics since the sport was introduced in 1998.

Why it matters

Canada's women's curling team has long been considered the best in the world, so this victory by the U.S. squad is a major upset and milestone for American curling. It shows the growing strength and competitiveness of the U.S. women's curling program on the global stage.

The details

In Friday's match, the U.S. team was able to capitalize on some uncharacteristic mistakes by the Canadian squad led by skip Rachel Homan. After the win, the jubilant American players celebrated by walking down the ice and raising their fists in triumph.

  • The U.S. women's curling team defeated Canada on Friday, February 14, 2026.

The players

Taylor Anderson-Heide

A Minneapolis native on the U.S. women's curling team.

Tara Peterson

A member of the U.S. women's curling team from Shoreview, Minnesota.

Rachel Homan

The skip of the Canadian women's curling team, which has long been considered the best in the world.

Tabitha Peterson

The skip of the U.S. women's curling team and Tara Peterson's older sister.

Cory Thiesse

A member of the U.S. women's curling team who has already won a silver medal in the mixed doubles event.

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What they’re saying

“If that's true, I think we just played a really good game. They're No. 1 in the world.”

— Taylor Anderson-Heide (The Associated Press)

“It just always feels really good to beat (Canada skip) Rachel Homan. So any team to beat them, that's pretty impressive.”

— Tara Peterson (The Associated Press)

“Apparently, we've never beat them in the Olympics before. That makes it just extra special.”

— Tara Peterson (The Associated Press)

What’s next

The U.S. women's curling team has several matches left in the round-robin before the semifinals next Friday. They are currently 2-1 after Friday's historic win against Canada.

The takeaway

This victory by the U.S. women's curling team over the powerhouse Canadian squad shows the growing strength and competitiveness of American curling on the global stage, and it will surely inspire the next generation of curlers in the United States.