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Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – The United States women’s curling team continued its impressive run at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games on Sunday, securing a thrilling 6-5 victory over China in a tightly contested round-robin match. The win marks the third consecutive victory for Team USA, improving their record to 4-1 and solidifying their position as a contender in the tournament. The game came down to the wire, with the Americans stealing a crucial point in the 10th finish to clinch the win.
The U.S. Team, skipped by three-time Olympian Tabitha Peterson, faced a determined Chinese squad, but demonstrated resilience and strategic play to overcome an early deficit. After trailing 4-1 at the halfway point, Team USA mounted a comeback, capitalizing on opportunities and executing precise shots in the latter half of the game. This victory underscores the team’s growing confidence and ability to perform under pressure on the Olympic stage.
Peterson, who was shooting 69 percent on draw shots before the final end, delivered a clutch draw in the 10th, setting the stage for the steal. With the hammer, China attempted a runback but came up short, allowing the U.S. To secure the game-winning point. “I indicate, I love a good draw to the button,” Peterson said after the win. “The fact that even in the 10th end I came up short on my first so I kind of knew the adjustment I needed to make for my second, so it all came together. The girls swept perfectly, Cory (Thiesse) called a perfect line, so it was a good two shots.”
Comeback Fueled by Teamwork and Adjustments
The U.S. Team’s turnaround began in the sixth end, where Peterson capitalized on a missed shot by China to narrow the gap. She tapped a Chinese stone out of play, earning her team two points and bringing the score to 4-3. Peterson continued her strong performance in the eighth, adding another single point with a precise draw to tie the game at 4-4. In the ninth, a strategic guard by Peterson forced a difficult shot from China’s Wang Rui, resulting in the Americans sitting one on the button and leveling the score at 5-5 heading into the final end.
Despite being outshot 84-83 percent and significantly dominated in takeouts 42-16, Team USA’s ability to capitalize on opportunities and maintain composure proved decisive. “We just had to stick with it,” Peterson explained. “We had a good team meeting at the fifth end break of what we needed to do to flip it around for us for the second half, and we got more energy and our draw speed got a little bit better, and we kind of kept the pressure on them to make some tough shots.”
Team USA Building Momentum
This win follows a successful run for Team USA, which also secured a historic victory over Canada on February 13th – the first time the U.S. Women’s curling team has defeated Canada at the Olympics, as reported by the Associated Press. The team, comprised of Peterson, Cory Thiesse, Tara Peterson, and Taylor Anderson-Heide, is demonstrating a strong synergy and a determination to make a deep run in the tournament. The team qualified for the Olympics after a 7-1 record at the U.S. Team Trials and securing the last available spot at the Olympic Qualification Event, according to NBC Olympics.
“We kind of build off every game,” Peterson said. “We played really well against Japan last night and maybe missed a few more in this game today, but if you kind of just keep it close anything can happen.”
What’s Next for Team USA?
Team USA will return to the ice on Monday at 1:05 p.m. ET to face Italy, who currently holds a 0-4 record in the tournament. China (2-2) will face a challenging matchup against Canada at 3:05 a.m. ET on Monday. The U.S. Team will seem to continue its winning streak and build momentum as the round-robin stage progresses.
Scoreboard:
| United States (6) | China (5) |
| 0 – 1st end | 0 |
| 0 – 2nd end | 2 |
| 1 – 3rd end | 0 |
| 0 – 4th end | 1 |
| 0 – 5th end | 1 |
| 2 – 6th end | 0 |
| 0 – 7th end | 0 |
| 1 – 8th end | 1 |
| 1 – 9th end | 0 |
| 1 – 10th end | 0 |
The Milan Cortina Games are providing thrilling competition, and Team USA’s curling team is proving to be a force to be reckoned with. Stay tuned for further updates as the tournament unfolds.
What do you think of Team USA’s performance so far? Share your thoughts in the comments below!