[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, October 28, 2026] — The World Mixed Doubles Playdown begins today at the Eau Claire Curling Club in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, with eight teams competing for the opportunity to represent the United States at the 2027 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship.
Competition runs October 28 through November 1, with the winning team earning the U.S. berth at the 2027 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, scheduled for January 4-10 in Lohja, Finland.
The eight-team field includes Olympic silver medalists Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin, who recently represented the United States at the World Mixed Doubles Qualification Event in Lafayette, Colorado, where they went undefeated to capture gold and secure a berth for the United States in the 2027 World Mixed Doubles Championship.
The World Mixed Doubles Playdown is part of an adjusted qualification calendar for the 2026-27 season following the World Mixed Doubles Championship's move from its traditional late-April dates to January. USA Curling will hold its 2027 Mixed Doubles Nationals in late April or early May, with the winners earning the opportunity to represent the United States at the 2028 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship.
For complete qualification details, visit the 2026-27 Qualification Procedures.
For event information and the full championship schedule, visit the USA Curling Championships page.The field in Eau Claire will include the following teams:
Thiesse/Dropkin (Cory Thiesse, Korey Dropkin). Berth awarded based on the final published World Curling Mixed Doubles Ranking List for the 2025-26 Season.
Fenson/Stopera (Sarah Fenson, Andrew Stopera). Berth awarded based on the final published World Curling Mixed Doubles Ranking List for the 2025-26 Season.
Bear/Oldenburg (Madison Bear, Aidan Oldenburg). Berth awarded based on combined points of each player (one male, one female) on the World Curling Team Ranking Lists for Men’s and Women’s play from the final year-end standings in 2025-2026.
Hamilton/Hamilton (Becca Hamilton, Matt Hamilton). Berth awarded based on combined points of each player (one male, one female) on the World Curling Team Ranking Lists for Men’s and Women’s play from the final year-end standings in 2025-2026.
Johnson/Hebert (Allory Johnson, Caden Hebert). Berth awarded based on combined points of each player (one male, one female) on the World Curling Team Ranking Lists for Men’s and Women’s play from the final year-end standings in 2025-2026.
Podoll/Parry (Ann Podoll, Nathan Parry). Berth awarded based on ranking on the published Year-to Date World Curling Mixed Doubles Ranking List for events completed as of October 14th, 2026.
Bassiri/Kadlec (Sara Bassiri, Austin Kadlec). Berth awarded based on ranking on the published Year-to Date World Curling Mixed Doubles Ranking List for events completed as of October 14th, 2026.
Vaydich/Macomber (Bailey Vaydich, Ethan Macomber). Berth awarded based on ranking on the published Year-to Date World Curling Mixed Doubles Ranking List for events completed as of October 14th, 2026.
About USA Curling
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA Curling is the National Governing body for the Olympic sport of curling and the Paralympic sport of wheelchair curling in the United States. The mission of USA Curling is to grow, strengthen, and advocate for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of curling in the United States by prioritizing accessibility and programmatic development from grassroots to podium. USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, the Dale’s family of beers, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Ice, Sports & Solar (ISS), Rock Solid Productions, Jet Ice, and Laurie Artiss. USA Curling is a proud member of World Curling and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. To learn more, visit usacurling.org.
