USA Men's Curling Team Scores Upset Victory Over Sweden

Younger American squad defeats defending gold medalists in key Olympic match

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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The USA men's curling team, with an average age under 27, scored a major upset victory over the defending gold medalist Swedish team at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The 8-5 win helped put the Americans into a tie for third place with a 4-2 record, boosting their chances of advancing to the medal round. The victory was described as a "statement" win for the young American squad.

Why it matters

Curling is a sport where experience and veteran leadership are often key, so the young American team's ability to defeat the more seasoned Swedish squad is an impressive accomplishment that could pay dividends as they push for a medal. The win also helps raise the profile of the USA curling program on the global stage.

The details

The Americans took advantage of a Swedish error in the fourth end to take a 4-2 lead, and they never relinquished that advantage, finishing with 39 takeouts and an 84% team shooting percentage. The victory came on the heels of another win over Norway earlier in the day, putting the US in a strong position to advance to the medal round.

  • The USA-Sweden match took place on Sunday, February 15, 2026.
  • The USA also defeated Norway in their second game of the day on February 15.

The players

Team USA

The American men's curling team, with an average age under 27, is the youngest squad in the Olympic tournament.

Sweden

The defending gold medalist team in men's curling, with the most veteran roster in the competition.

Daniel Casper

A New York native on the USA curling team who helped secure the victory over Sweden.

Ben Richardson

A member of the young USA curling team who expressed confidence in their ability to beat any team and win a medal.

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What they’re saying

“We know all of these teams are really good. We know we can beat any of these teams, and we're here to win. That's been our goal the whole week. Thankfully, we've gotten some wins under our belt now.”

— Ben Richardson, USA Curler (NBCOlympics.com)

“It's going to feel great to have a day off. The day off is going to feel amazing. We're going to be confident going into the next games. Just stretch and keep on keeping on, and we're just going to keep getting better.”

— Daniel Casper, USA Curler (N/A)

What’s next

The American men's curling team will have a day off before returning to action on Tuesday, February 18 at 3:05 AM against China.

The takeaway

The young USA curling team's upset victory over the defending gold medalists from Sweden demonstrates their potential to medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, challenging the traditional curling powers and raising the profile of the American program on the global stage.