New Yorker Danny Casper leads U.S. men's curling team in quest for Olympic gold

Casper and his team aim to repeat the U.S. men's curling team's historic gold medal win from 2018.

Feb. 4, 2026 at 7:07pm

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Danny Casper, a 24-year-old from Westchester, New York, is captaining the U.S. men's curling team at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. Casper's team had to defeat the reigning gold medalist squad led by John Shuster to earn their spot on the Olympic team. The U.S. men's curling team has only won gold once before, in 2018, and Casper is hoping to lead his squad to another historic victory.

Why it matters

Curling is a niche sport in the U.S., and the men's team's 2018 gold medal was a major breakthrough. Another gold would further cement curling's growing popularity and solidify the U.S. as a curling powerhouse on the global stage.

The details

Casper's team, which includes Luc Violette, Ben Richardson, and Aidan Oldenburg, with Rich Ruohonen as an alternate, defeated Shuster's experienced squad at the U.S. Olympic Curling Trials to earn their spot in Milan. Casper has curling in his blood, as his great aunt Carla Casper competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics and his grandfather Tom Casper coached the U.S. men's team in 1998.

  • The men's curling competition at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics begins on February 11.
  • The U.S. men's team will play its first match against Czechia on February 11.
  • The men's semifinals are scheduled for February 19, with the bronze and gold medal matches on February 20 and 21 respectively.

The players

Danny Casper

A 24-year-old from Westchester, New York, who is captaining the U.S. men's curling team at the 2026 Olympics.

John Shuster

The skip of the U.S. men's curling team that won gold at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. Shuster's team had to be defeated by Casper's squad at the U.S. Olympic Curling Trials to earn a spot on the 2026 Olympic team.

Carla Casper

Danny Casper's great aunt, who competed in curling at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Tom Casper

Danny Casper's grandfather, who coached the U.S. men's curling team at the 1998 Winter Olympics.

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What’s next

The U.S. men's curling team will begin round-robin play on February 11, with the semifinals scheduled for February 19 and the gold medal match on February 21.

The takeaway

Danny Casper and his U.S. men's curling team have the opportunity to make history by repeating the team's 2018 gold medal triumph, further boosting the sport's popularity in the United States.