CORTINA, ITALY – The United States delivered one of its most complete performances in the mixed team wheelchair curling round robin at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, defeating Sweden 7–1 before falling to Latvia and Slovakia at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.

The stretch of three matches Monday and Tuesday, March 9 and 10, 2026 highlighted how important early momentum can be in wheelchair curling. The Americans controlled the house and created steals in their win over Sweden, but early deficits against Latvia and Slovakia forced them into difficult chases.

Through six sessions of round-robin play, the United States stands at 2–4 as the race for semifinal positions continued.

Sweden – United States Takes Control Early

The Americans opened the three-match stretch against Sweden, a consistent international contender, by scoring two points in the opening end with the hammer.

Skip Sean O’Neill helped guide the Americans before the half as the United States continued to build pressure around the house. Steals in the second, third and fourth ends pushed the lead to 5–0.

Sweden managed a single point in the fifth end, but the Americans answered with a point in the sixth to make it 6–1.

The seventh end sealed the result. Sweden attempted to remove the American shot stone with the hammer but could not, leaving the Americans sitting shot stone. After a measurement confirmed the point, Sweden conceded at 7–1.

“We’re finally playing up to our own expectations,” said lead Oyuna Uranchimeg after the match. “In the first couple of games we tried but we had misses here and there.”

Latvia – Early Steals Prove Costly

Later in the round robin, the Americans fell behind early against Latvia, one of the top-ranked programs, after a series of stolen ends.

Latvia opened the match by stealing two points in the first end and added another steal in the second to build a 4–0 lead. A third straight steal in the third end extended the deficit before Latvia added three more in the fourth to take control of the game.

Trailing 8–0, the Americans regrouped in the fifth end.

Alternate Kathleen Verderber entered the lineup midway through the end and helped stabilize the U.S. stones as the team worked to generate its first scoring opportunity. With multiple stones clustered in the house, the Americans created an opening to score a single point in the fifth end.

Team USA mounted a comeback scoring 2 points in the sixth and 3 points in the seventh. Despite the rally, the early deficit held. With Latvia leading 8–6 after seven ends, the Americans conceded the match during the eighth end.

Slovakia – Momentum Builds After The Half

Slovakia opened the game with two points in the first end and added singles in the second and third to move ahead 4–0. The Americans responded in the fourth end with two points, briefly cutting the deficit in half.

However, Slovakia regained momentum in the fifth end with a three-point score.

The Americans managed a single point in the sixth end but could not close the gap. Slovakia, whose core leadership helped the team finish fourth at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, led 8–3 after seven ends when the United States conceded.

Uranchimeg said the team continues to search for its most consistent level of play in a post match interview.

“I’d like to see us when all four of us are shooting really well,” Uranchimeg said. “When we’re firing on all four cylinders.”

The U.S. lineup of Matthew Thums, O’Neill, Dan Rose and Uranchimeg, with Verderber serving as alternate, continues to pursue a top-four finish that would secure a place in the semifinals as the round robin moves toward its final sessions.