Fansided

USA men’s curling team downs Sweden, wins first ever Olympic gold

By Adam Strangis

GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 18: Matt Hamilton, George Tyler, John Shuster and John Landsteiner of the USA compete during the Curling round robin session 7 on day nine of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Curling Centre on February 18, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 18: Matt Hamilton, George Tyler, John Shuster and John Landsteiner of the USA compete during the Curling round robin session 7 on day nine of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Curling Centre on February 18, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The USA wanted to continue their magical run to a gold medal, but the number one team in the tournament, Sweden, stood in their way.

Skip John Shuster and his squad had already accomplished the best finish for a USA men’s curling team at any Olympics, but they wanted more. Sweden was looking for a gold medal of their own for the first time and held a record of 9-2 coming into this match. In the end, it was Team USA, even after four straight wins, that proved to have just a little bit of magic left.

Since the stakes were so high, the first end wasn’t very eventful. Both teams opted to get a feel for the ice surface before really jumping into their strategy. End two saw the Swedes jump out to a 2-0 lead and put the pressure on the USA.

End three was a big shift for the USA. They were on the verge of disaster as it looked like Sweden might steal a point or possibly two. That was until “Big Shot John” stepped up and knocked out stones to give the USA two points of their own. Shuster had came up large in a major spot yet again, and after three ends, the USA was holding their own and had the game tied at two points each.

It looked like the tide was really going to turn in end four when the USA was able to steal a point even though Sweden had the last throw. Unfortunately, they couldn’t hold on to that momentum as Sweden answered in end five. Shuster had a chance to make life difficult but missed a shot by mere inches to give the Swedes an opening. They took it and chalked up two points to take a 4-3 lead at the midway point of the match.

Showing the resiliency that had become their calling card, the USA didn’t get flustered and bounced right back in end six. They were able to score two points to take the lead back, 5-4. The seesaw match continued into the seventh end as Swedish skip Niklas Edin was able to pull a point out of a difficult setup to pull even at 5-5 with just three ends left. The USA started to put some nails in the coffin in end eight. Edin had a chance to keep the score close but left the door open for Shuster to put up a big number. That’s exactly what Shuster did as he and the squad put up a five spot to leave end eight up 10-5. For those unfamiliar with curling, that is a massive score. It’s even larger in a gold medal game.

End nine saw Sweden get a much-needed two points to cut the deficit to three heading into the final end. All the USA needed to do is not allow Sweden to score three points to tie it and the gold medal was theirs. They were able to hold serve, and one of the unlikeliest of stories had played out on the curling rink as the USA came all the way back from a 2-4 record in round robin play to Olympic gold. The remarkable journey had come to fruition for the USA.

Next: See how Team USA got to the gold medal curling match

The USA men’s curling team showed so much heart and determination through this tournament. They showed the exact spirit of the Olympics, and that’s why events like curling can take off. It’s easy to cheer for a winner and a great story. It’s easy to get behind the underdog who gets hot and smashes expectations. Matt Hamilton, Tyler George, John Landsteiner and John Shuster have set their place in curling history for the United States. They brought home the gold, and at least for a few moments, put curling on the forefront of a lot of minds.

Home/Olympic Results