Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse are Team USA mixed doubles curlers who clinched the country’s first-ever Olympic medal in the event at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Minnesota-based duo stunned defending champions and powered their way into the gold medal match while balancing full-time jobs back home. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse Became Partners After Missing Beijing
Dropkin and Thiesse first crossed paths as teenagers in Minnesota’s junior curling scene. Both attended the University of Minnesota Duluth and competed nationally, but they did not team up in mixed doubles until April 2022.
After neither qualified for the 2022 Beijing Olympics with their previous teams, Dropkin invited Thiesse out for a drink to talk curling, not dating. He asked if she would consider mixed doubles. She said yes.
“Korey and I have been really good friends for a long time,” Thiesse told the Duluth News Tribune in 2023. “Both of us living in Duluth, it works out well that we’re able to practice together. It seemed like a good fit.”
Dropkin joked at the time, “Truly, I was just looking for someone that had the same name as me.”
One year later, they were world champions. In 2026, they became Olympic medalists.
2. They Balance Olympic Curling With Regular 9-to-5 Jobs
When they are not competing internationally, both athletes work full-time jobs in Minnesota, according to Yahoo. Thiesse graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a degree in exercise science and works as a chemical dependency laboratory technician at North Shore Analytical, a mercury-testing lab.
Dropkin, a Massachusetts native who relocated to Duluth in 2013 to pursue curling, is a licensed real estate agent with RE/MAX Results. He specializes in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin markets.
Their Olympic run required time off from work, making their medal run even more remarkable.
3. “The Coreys” Secured the Gold Medal Match With a Shock Win
On Monday, February 9, the duo pulled off a dramatic 9–8 upset over Italy’s defending Olympic champions in the semifinals. With deafening chants in the arena, Thiesse delivered the final hammer to score two points in the last end and seal the victory.
The win guaranteed Team USA its first Olympic medal in mixed doubles curling and sent Dropkin and Thiesse to the gold medal match.
They later thanked supporters back home watching at the Duluth Curling Club, saying the local backing has been constant throughout their careers.
4. Are Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse Dating?
No.
Thiesse, 31, is married to Sam Thiesse, a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley. Dropkin, 30, is engaged to Gabby Tachis.
Despite Olympic fame, both athletes have kept their personal lives largely private, focusing public attention on competition and preparation.
5. Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse Powered Through a Grueling Olympic Schedule
The Americans opened the Games with a 4–0 win over Norway, Switzerland, Canada, and Czechia. Losses to Great Britain and Korea followed, but the duo rebounded with wins over Estonia and Sweden.
After falling just short against Italy in the final round-robin match, they flipped the script in the semifinals to advance.
Dropkin and Thiesse will face Sweden’s sibling duo Isabella and Rasmus Wranå in the gold medal match on Tuesday, February 10, at 12:05 p.m. ET at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
How to Watch the Mixed Doubles Curling Final
Live Stream: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC Sports app
Cable TV: USA Network
Replay: Available on Peacock immediately after the event
Korey Dropkin & Cory Thiesse: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know