OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION EVENT GETS UNDERWAY IN KELOWNA, CANADA
Photo by: Michael Woolheater
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, December 5, 2025] — Team Casper (Danny Casper, Luc Violette, Ben Richardson, Aidan Oldenburg, Rich Ruohonen) and Team Peterson (Tabitha Peterson, Cory Thiesse, Tara Peterson, Taylor Anderson-Heide, Aileen Geving) are taking the ice at the Men’s & Women’s Olympic Qualification Event at the Kelowna Curling Club in Kelowna, Canada, from December 5–18, 2025.
Eight teams of each gender will compete for the final two berths in both the Men’s and Women’s divisions at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano-Cortina, Italy.
Men’s and Women’s play will run through December 11th, followed by Mixed Doubles play. The United States will not be competing in Mixed Doubles, as the American duo of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin have already qualified for the Olympic Games based on their finish at last year’s World Mixed Doubles Championship.
Teams will complete a round-robin, with the top three teams of each gender advancing to the playoffs. The first place and second place teams, based on round-robin results, will play to determine one berth (1 v 2 Game). The loser of the 1 v 2 Game will play the third place team, based on round-robin results, to determine the final berth in the Games.
Streaming of the event will be available globally on The Curling Channel. In the United States, curling fans will also be able to watch all playoff games on Peacock.
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.
