The U.S. team beat Sweden for the gold medal in curling, a first for the USA.
The team defeated two powerhouses for the victory. They beat the all-time curling Olympic leader, Canada, and then beat Sweden, this year’s top team, for top honors.
“We knew we were going to lose,” said Sweden’s team leader, Niklas Edin, via the Times.
The win was highly unexpected. Curling is not big in the USA, and the team had only won one medal, a bronze, at the 2006 Olympics. During the next two Winter Olympics, the team came in last place and next to last place. In curling circles, the team was known as Team Reject, according to the Times.
“We want our sport to be loved by our country as much as we love it,” said Tyler George, a member of the gold medal team, via the Times. “There’s a reason why we play it, and there’s a reason why we love it as much as we do.”
“It’s like a baseball glove,” George told the Times. “The ball has to feel right when it hits the webbing. Curling shoes — same thing. You have to be able to point your knee out the right way, and put the right amount of your foot on the ice.”
Also a part of the gold medal-winning team with Shuster as the “skip,” meaning captain, and George, the “vice skip,” were Matt Hamilton, John Landsteiner, and Joe Polo.
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