The women’s team curling competition at the Winter Olympics has already produced one of Milano Cortina’s defining storylines, as the United States shocked Canada in round-robin play while Sweden quietly built an unbeaten start at 3-0. That combination of a historic American breakthrough and clinical Swedish consistency has reshaped expectations for a field that also includes traditional contenders Switzerland and Canada. With the playoff picture now set and a European power already into the gold medal game, every stone is being thrown in the shadow of that early Super-G session where the balance of power shifted.
The upset of Canada by the United States did more than flip a single result; it announced Team USA as a genuine threat in an event long dominated by European and Canadian rinks. At the same time, Sweden’s early winning streak confirmed that the Swedes arrived in Italy not just as medal hopefuls but as the standard everyone else must chase.
How the United States stunned Canada and rewrote its own history
The United States entered the women’s team event carrying years of frustration against Canada, then turned that baggage into fuel in a tense Super-G round-robin clash. In that game, the Americans fell behind early but stayed close enough to give their skip a chance to steal the narrative late, which is exactly what happened when the U.S. women stunned Canada and Sweden moved to 3-0 in the same session, a moment captured in official coverage of Winter Olympics 2026. The Americans clawed back from a deficit, reading the ice better as the game tightened and forcing Canada into increasingly thin margins on hits and draws.
The decisive moment came in the 10th end, when Team USA converted a high-pressure final stone to complete a 9-8 comeback that multiple reports have described as the first-ever Olympic women’s curling win for the United States over Canada, a result also highlighted in coverage of Team USA making. That final draw, thrown by Tabitha Peterson under the weight of decades of Canadian dominance, did more than secure a single victory; it shifted how rivals must prepare for the Americans in late-game scenarios. Video of the 10th end, recorded in Milan Cortina on a Friday in Feb, shows the U.S. women staying remarkably composed as Canada lined up its last attempt before the hammer, a scene replayed repeatedly in highlight packages from Milan Cortina.
From statement win to playoff berth for Team USA
Rather than serving as a one-off upset, that win over Canada became the launching pad for a full playoff run. The United States used the confidence gained from that Super-G session to tighten its execution across the remaining round-robin schedule, limiting big ends against and leaning on precise draw weight in the middle ends. The payoff came when the Americans defeated Switzerland in a high-stakes match that locked in a top-two finish in the standings, as reflected in the official summary of how the United States beat to complete the playoff field. That result ensured the Americans would not simply sneak into the semifinals but arrive there with the statistical profile of a contender.
By the end of round-robin play, Canada and the United States had both secured their places in the top four, with official standings noting that Canada and the both finished within the top four. The United States then carried that momentum into a tense semifinal against Switzerland, where Team USA again relied on Tabitha Peterson’s composure with the hammer. In extra ends, Peterson delivered another clutch final stone to send Team USA into the semifinals in dramatic fashion, a sequence detailed in analysis of Team USA and. That ability to execute under maximum pressure has turned the Americans into one of the most dangerous late-game teams in the tournament.
Sweden’s 3-0 start and the weight of expectation
While the United States grabbed headlines with its shock win over Canada, Sweden quietly put together the most complete start of the tournament. The Swedish women opened their campaign with three straight victories, moving to 3-0 in the same Super-G session that saw the United States topple Canada, a detail noted in coverage that linked the American upset with how Sweden moves to. That unbeaten start was built on ruthless efficiency, with Sweden controlling hammer management, forcing opponents into low-percentage angles, and rarely leaving multiple enemy stones in scoring position.
The statistical backbone of that run is visible in the standings, where Sweden, skipped by Anna Hasselborg, finished the round robin with a 7-2 record, as listed in the table that identifies X – Sweden (Anna Hasselborg) with 7 wins and 2 losses under the header that begins with Download App. That record secured Sweden the top seed and set up a semifinal against the fourth-place finishers, Canada, in a matchup that paired long-term consistency with a Canadian rink still adjusting to life after the round-robin loss to the United States.
Canada’s path from early shock to semifinal heartbreak
Canada’s women arrived in Italy as perennial favorites, but the early loss to the United States forced an immediate reset. Even so, Canada stabilized its form enough to finish in the top four and qualify for the semifinals, a path documented in the explanation of how Round-robin winners Sweden would face Canada. That pairing meant Team Homan would have to go through the tournament’s form team to keep gold-medal hopes alive, a daunting assignment even for a country with Canada’s curling depth.
In the semifinal, Canada’s Team Homan could not solve Sweden’s control of the house and ultimately fell short. Reporting from Winnipeg confirms that Canada’s Team Homan lost to Sweden in the Olympic women’s curling semifinal, a result highlighted in coverage where the line “Canada’s Team Homan loses to Sweden in Olympic women’s curling semifinal” appears, and which is accessible through Canada’s Team Homan. That defeat not only ended Canada’s bid for another Olympic title but also reinforced how narrow the margins have become at the top of women’s curling, where a single missed hit or misjudged line call can erase years of preparation.
Sweden’s sustained excellence and the looming European showdown
Sweden’s win over Canada in the semifinal did more than avenge years of North American dominance; it confirmed that the Swedes are on the brink of adding another chapter to a long run of Olympic success. Having medaled in all but one of the Olympic women’s curling events since the sport’s debut in 1998, the Swedes are again in position to win the gold medal game, a historical context summarized in live coverage that notes that Having medaled in Olympic tournament, they now stand one win from another title. That sustained excellence is a product of both elite shot-making and a program that has consistently produced world-class skips like Anna Hasselborg.
The final obstacle for Sweden will come from within Europe. The gold medal game will feature Sweden against Switzerland, setting up a showdown between two European powerhouses at Milano Cortina, as confirmed in a report that notes that Sweden and Switzerland are meeting for Milano Cortina 2026 curling gold and describes it as a clash between a pair of European teams. That matchup leaves the North American giants, Canada and the United States, to chase hardware in the bronze-medal game and future Olympic cycles, while Sweden and Switzerland decide which European program will leave Italy with the sport’s ultimate prize.
