The youngest team in the field delivered one of the biggest statements of the tournament Sunday morning at the 2026 Winter Olympics, as the U.S. men’s curling team stunned defending Olympic champions Sweden 8-5 in round-robin play.
Team USA, made up of four players all under the age of 27, showed composure well beyond its years in improving to 3-2 at the Milan Cortina Games. Skip Danny Casper’s squad controlled the match for most of the morning against a veteran Swedish team skipped by Niklas Edin, one of the most decorated curlers in Olympic history.
The turning point came in the fourth end. Clinging to a narrow game early, the Americans capitalized on a rare Swedish miscue. On Sweden’s final stone of the fourth, Edin overthrew a takeout attempt, sending the rock all the way through the house. That opened the door for Casper, who calmly drew to the button for three points and a 4-2 U.S. lead. As the final stone settled, Aidan Oldenburg threw his hands in the air and shouted, a snapshot of the youthful energy fueling this American squad.
The U.S. added another point in the sixth and then seized full control in the seventh with an aggressive and confident call from Casper. Opting for a runback of his own red guard into Sweden’s lone stone in the house, Casper executed perfectly. His stone curled just enough to remove the Swedish counter. Edin’s hammer attempt in response overcurled and failed to make contact, resulting in a steal and a 6-3 American advantage with three ends to play.
Sweden, which also features veteran third Oskar Eriksson, briefly narrowed the gap with two points in the eighth. But once again, the Americans responded immediately. They scored two in the ninth to restore a three-point cushion at 8-5, putting the pressure squarely back on the defending gold medalists.
In the 10th end, needing only a routine takeout on his seventh stone to seal the outcome, Casper delivered his 14th takeout of the match — a game-high — effectively ending any hope of a Swedish comeback. Sweden conceded before the final stone was thrown.
Luc Violette added 13 takeouts for the Americans, who finished with 39 successful takeouts at an impressive 84 percent efficiency rate. It was a clinical performance against a team that entered the Games as one of the favorites.
After the match, Eriksson acknowledged Sweden struggled to read the ice conditions and never fully found its rhythm. The 2022 world champions have endured a difficult start in Cortina and now sit at 1-4 in round-robin play.
Through Monday morning’s session, the U.S. stands fifth at 3-2. Only the top four teams advance to the semifinals, meaning every remaining draw carries significant weight.
Next up for the Americans is Norway at 1:05 p.m. ET — another opportunity for the tournament’s youngest team to prove it belongs among curling’s elite on the Olympic stage.
