The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are underway and Team USA is rising. The Americans notched a dramatic 9-8 win over Canada in women’s curling. The result moved the U.S. to 2-1 in round-robin play and caught attention across the tournament, per The Sporting News via Yahoo Sports.
The U.S. women showed steady progress this week in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Tabitha Peterson's rink played with patience and good shot-making. Cory Thiesse already won silver in Mixed Doubles, and that momentum helped the team stay confident. That growth surfaced against Canada.
Canada's Rachel Homan and her Ottawa-based rink arrived as favorites. Homan owned a strong record versus Peterson, leading 12-1 before this match. On Friday the script flipped. Homan had late chances but missed a final double. Peterson then made the clutch draw for two in the 10th end to seal the win.
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This victory is a milestone. It marks the first time a U.S. women’s team has beaten Canada at the Olympics since curling returned in 1998. For years, the Americans chased that breakthrough. Now it is official. As Peterson said, per CBC "That's what I just heard too. I know we came close in the past. Great time to beat the number one team ... It was a good game, it was a good battle."
The 9-8 score reflects swings, big ends, and a tense finish. Canada falls to 1-1 while the U.S. gains momentum and belief heading into the rest of the round robin.
Historically, Canada has dominated Olympic women's curling with multiple medals. The U.S. had yet to win a medal in the four-player event. Not far away is also the USA's 5–0 win over Canada on February 10 2026. This preliminary-round victory was a historic milestone for Team USA. Marking the first time they have ever shut out Canada in 11 Olympic attempts and handed the Canadians their worst-ever defeat in Olympic women's hockey history.
Fans and analysts will now watch closely as both teams prepare for their next round-robin matches.