MEN’S OLYMPIC BERTH SECURED BY TEAM CASPER
Photo by: World Curling
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, December 11, 2025] — Team Casper is now Team USA.
With a berth in the Milan-Cortina Games on the line at the Olympic Qualification Event (OQE) in Kelowna, Canada, Danny Casper and his teammates Luc Violette, Ben Richardson, Aidan Oldenburg, and Rich Ruohonen seized the moment with a convincing 9-4 win over China.
After steals in ends 3, 4, and 5, Casper took a 4-2 lead into the break. After trading singles until the 9th, China skip Xiao Ming Xu faced three Team USA counters with this last stone. When his draw slipped to the back of the rings, Casper was left with a straightforward draw to count four and book the ticket to the Olympics.
Casper and his squad have been truly tested in the last few weeks, securing the spot in the OQE with a thrilling Game Three victory over five-time Olympian John Shuster’s team at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Sioux Falls, SD, in November. With a few weeks to prepare for the pressure-cooker that is the OQE, the team had a training camp at Curl Mesabi in Eveleth, MN, and arrived in Kelowna well-prepared.
China opened the decisive qualifying game with two points in the first end, but Casper and his teammates have shown resilience both throughout this tournament and over the last two seasons. With guidance from Coach Jordan Moulton and National Team Coach Phill Drobnick on the bench, the team steadied itself quickly.
Asked about the game against China, Casper noted, “It’s a trend of ours to not start out the best. We just wanted to get the ice speed dialled in and then we were really comfortable. We’ve got two pretty massive sweepers and that’s pretty helpful, too.”
Casper, reflecting on the pressure that weighs on teams when representing the country and playing for an Olympic berth, said, “I felt pressure, but it’s an honor to play in games that give you that. This felt like a real group effort.”
The Olympics will open with Mixed Doubles Curling on February 4th, with the United States represented in that discipline by the team of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin. Men’s play will begin on February 11th. The full schedule can be found here.
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.
