USA Curling Playoff Scenarios: How Team Peterson and Team Casper Can Reach the 2026 Winter Olympic Semifinals

USA Curling is not having the best experience at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics 2026. After earning a silver medal in the mixed doubles category, the men’s team and the women’s team, led by Tabitha Peterson and Daniel ‘Danny’ Casper, are on the brink of an unceremonious exit.

However, the story is not over. Both teams can still qualify for the semifinals if their opponents do not win their respective matches tonight and they gain enough points to remain within the top four.

The Qualification Scenarios for USA Curling Explained

According to the latest rankings, Team USA is No. 6 in men’s curling at the Winter Olympics and third in the women’s event. The men’s team, known as Team Casper, has won just four of its nine games, losing its last crucial match to Team Great Britain by a 2‑9 margin.

Meanwhile, the women’s team, Team Peterson, is in a slightly better position but is not among the top two teams to qualify for the semifinal playoffs. Out of eight games, Team USA has won five, losing its most recent contest to Team Great Britain by a narrow 7‑8 margin.

READ MORE: After Canada vs Sweden Controversy, World Curling Changes Umpire Monitoring Protocol Amid the Winter Olympics

There is still hope for both teams, with the women’s squad holding an advantage over the men. Team USA has yet to play its final match against Team Switzerland. If the American team wins, it will secure a semifinal berth as the third‑ranked team. Otherwise, it must avoid a significant loss and rely on Canada and South Korea to lose by wide margins.

For the men’s team, the situation is more difficult. Having completed all scheduled games, Team Casper is dependent on the results of Team Italy and Team Norway. If both teams lose by substantial margins, Team USA could still qualify as the third‑ or fourth‑ranked team.

This scenario is possible because Italy and Norway face Switzerland and Canada, respectively. Both opponents have already secured semifinal spots and lead the standings. Switzerland has maintained a perfect record with eight consecutive wins, while Italy has lost only once in eight games.

🚨🥇 My Day 13 Olympics viewing guide!

An absolutely monster day ✅

💥 6 gold medal events
💥 USA-Canada for women’s hockey gold
💥 Olympic debut of SKIMO‼️
💥 Jordan Stolz 1500m
💥 Win-and-in to make women’s curling playoffs
💥 Women’s singles free skate pic.twitter.com/gkvgCtDOrg

— Mitch Goldich 🐙 (@mitchgoldich) February 19, 2026

Both teams will aim to reinforce their positions with additional victories, which could indirectly benefit the American curlers.