Pyeongchang, South Korea — The USA men’s curling team are guaranteed an Olympic medal in curling — and it upset a powerhouse team to do it.
Team Shuster has reached the gold medal game for the first time in history — after defeating three-time gold medalist defenders, Canada, 5-3 in the semifinals.
The US will now face Sweden, who defeated Switzerland 9-3, in the final on Saturday.
“It means the world,” USA skip John Shuster said to NBC.
The matchup was tight, tied 2-2 heading into the 8th end. But a shot by Canadian skip Kevin Koe was too light, and the US was able to steal two to take the lead for good.
A devastating blow to Canada
This ends Canada’s impressive run at the Olympics in men’s curling — having reached every Olympic final since the sport returned to the Olympics in 1998. The country won gold in 2014, 2010, 2006 and silver in 2002 and 1998.
The loss was “frustrating” because Canada was “in control the whole game,” Koe said.
“We got fooled a little by the ice.”
“It’s hugely disappointing” to be playing for bronze, the Canadian skip added. “But we don’t want to go home empty-handed, so as much as this sucks right now, if we can come out, play well and win tomorrow, and go home with a medal — that’ll take some of the sting off.”
Team Shuster also defeated Canada in a round robin play on Monday.
Another shock is that the Canadian women aren’t playing anymore, either.
The reigning world and Olympic champions didn’t reach the semifinals, bowing out after the round robin.
It’s a devastating blow after heading into this Olympics as the only team to have finished on the podium at all five editions of the Olympic Winter Games since women’s curling was introduced in 1998.
‘I’ve dreamed about this since I was a little kid’
For the US, however, this is a first.
The country has never won Olympic gold in men’s or women’s curling. In 2006, Shuster won bronze for the US — a lone US medal in this Olympic sport.
“I remember what it felt like, standing on that podium and having an Olympic medal around your neck and the pride but watching somebody else’s flag go up on the top and the National Anthem,” Shuster said in the NBC interview.
“It’s something I’ve dreamed about since the time I was a little kid at the Olympics — is to see that American flag at the top in the middle and hear our National Anthem with the gold medal around our necks.”
This year’s Team USA consists of Shuster, Tyler George, Matt Hamilton, John Landsteiner and alternate Joe Polo.
After defeating Switzerland to reach the final, Sweden’s Christoffer Sundgren weighed in on playing the US: “We’re going to have to play at our absolutely top level, that’s for sure.”
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