Eight years after the historic gold in PyeongChang, Team USA had a chance for a second curling gold but ultimately claimed silver in the mixed doubles final. In a tense back-and-forth battle decided on the final stone, Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse fell 6-5 to Sweden's sibling duo Rasmus and Isabella Wranå.
The Americans, who missed early opportunities, faced pressure in the seventh end when Thiesse missed the house during a power play. Down 4-3 entering the final end, a clutch throw by Dropkin flipped the situation, allowing Thiesse to score for a 5-4 lead. However, a slightly firm throw by Dropkin in the eighth end and Thiesse's final stone not clearing enough gave Sweden the opening for Isabella Wranå's winning takeout.
"Obviously would have loved gold, but Sweden earned that," Dropkin said. "I'm so darn proud of us." After a 6-3 round-robin and a narrow semifinal win over Italy, the Americans entered the final as unexpected favorites but couldn't deliver their best game.
This marks only the third Olympic curling medal for the United States, joining the men's 2006 bronze and the 2018 men's gold. Thiesse becomes the first American woman to win an Olympic curling medal. "It's been a long time coming," she said. "I'm proud to use this to move women's curling in the U.S. forward."