Swedish siblings Isabella and Rasmus Wranå won gold in mixed doubles curling on Tuesday night, defeating Americans Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin 6–5 in a tense Olympic final.
At one end of the ice, Rasmus Wranå pumped his fists. At the other, Isabella jumped with disbelief, broom in hand. The Wranås became Sweden’s first sibling team to compete at the Winter Olympics—and its first to win gold in the event.
The final was played in front of a loud, pro-U.S. crowd and went down to the last stone. After the Americans left an opening in the final end, Isabella delivered a precise takeout. Rasmus swept hard as the red stone knocked out the U.S. yellow rock to seal the victory.
“It’s the last shot, and you know it’s for Olympic gold,” Isabella said. “Of course you’re nervous. But we stayed calm, talked it through, and I knew I had a very strong sweeper.”
Despite the loss, Thiesse and Dropkin made U.S. curling history. They became the first American team to win an Olympic medal in mixed doubles, and Thiesse is the first U.S. woman to medal in Olympic curling.
“This is a huge day for USA Curling and for women’s curling in the U.S.,” Thiesse said. “I hope this medal inspires the next generation.”
The Wranå siblings were coached by their father, Mats Wranå, while growing up. Their current coach, Alison Kreviazuk, credited their improved communication.
“They have different personalities,” Kreviazuk said. “Over the past couple of years, they’ve learned how to complement each other, and it really showed.”
The Swedes kept a calm presence throughout the match, supported by a small group of fans. In contrast, Dropkin energized the home crowd, drawing cheers from the stands.
Sweden’s path to gold was far from smooth. The Wranås lost their first three round-robin matches, prompting Swedish media to label their campaign a “curling fiasco.” They recovered by winning most of their remaining games and carried that momentum into the final.
The Americans, based in Duluth, Minnesota, both balance curling with full-time jobs. Thiesse works as a lab technician, while Dropkin is a real estate agent. Former college classmates, they teamed up after failing to qualify for the Beijing 2022 Games and went on to win the world championship a year later.
Italy’s Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner won bronze, beating Britain’s Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat 5–3. The Italians are the defending Olympic champions, while the British pair—who led the round-robin standings—left the ice visibly disappointed after falling short of the final.
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