Team USA Upsets Defending Champion Italy in Olympic Mixed Doubles Curling Semifinal Thriller

The United States pulled off a stunning upset on Monday, defeating reigning Olympic and world champion Italy 9-8 in a nail-biting mixed doubles curling semifinal at the Milano Cortina Winter Games. Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse's dramatic victory over Italy's Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner on their home ice sets up a gold medal match against Sweden as Team USA chases its first-ever Olympic gold in mixed doubles curling.

Trailing 8-7 entering the final end, the Americans found themselves in a pressure-packed situation with the hammer advantage. Dropkin executed a precise double take-out that cleared the ice and gave his team the positioning they needed. Thiesse then sealed the victory with the last stone, sending the American duo to the final and silencing the partisan Italian crowd that had been roaring throughout the match at the Olympic Sliding Centre in Cortina.

The semifinal victory was particularly sweet for the United States, who had lost to Italy 8-6 in their final round-robin match just days earlier. That defeat had raised questions about whether the Americans could compete with the defending champions when medals were on the line. Monday's performance answered those questions emphatically, with Dropkin and Thiesse showing remarkable composure under the most intense Olympic pressure imaginable.

Italy entered the semifinals as heavy favorites, having claimed gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and dominated the sport in recent years. Constantini and Mosaner had thrived on home ice throughout the tournament, with passionate Italian fans creating an electric atmosphere for every match. However, the Americans refused to be intimidated by the setting or their opponents' pedigree, executing their game plan to perfection when it mattered most.

Team USA will now face Sweden's Isabella Wranå and Rasmus Wranå in the gold medal final. Sweden advanced with a convincing 9-3 victory over Great Britain in the other semifinal, establishing themselves as formidable opponents. The final is scheduled for Tuesday at 12:05 p.m. ET, giving Dropkin and Thiesse just one day to prepare for their shot at Olympic glory. A victory would mark a historic achievement for American curling and cap a remarkable Olympic journey for the American duo.