TEAM USA WINS FIRST EVER BRONZE MEDAL AT WORLD WOMEN’S CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP

Photo by WCF / Steve Seixeiro

Focusing on the little things has been the motto for Team USA (Tabitha Peterson, Nina Roth, Becca Hamilton, Tara Peterson, and Aileen Geving) since first arriving at the Calgary bubble just over one month ago.

The Team, skipped by Tabitha Peterson, entered two Grand Slam of Curling events prior to the World Championship with what some might consider minimal expectations, but with the adversity that COVID-19 had thrown into the competitive curling season, it was an important first step in helping the Team feel as confident and prepared as possible to perform at the 2021 World Women’s Curling Championship.

“It had been so long since any of us had actually competed outside of scrimmages, so we just tried to have some fun out there and gain any little thing we could from each game to bring with us into the World Championship,” said Peterson.

This year’s Championship carried some extra weight as the journey was long and the stakes were high.

After winning the 2020 U.S. Women’s Curling National Championship and their berth to represent the United States at the 2020 World Women’s Curling Championship, Team Peterson and the other competing countries were sent packing before the Championship even began as COVID-19 took the world by storm. Since that cancelation, thoughts of performing on the world stage were dominant in the minds of Team Peterson and the driving force that kept them committed to achieving greatness.

With the 2021 World Women’s Curling Championship also serving as a qualifying event for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Team Peterson knew they needed to finish top six in the overall standings to earn the United States a berth in the upcoming Games, but that was not top priority.  

“Qualifying the United States for the Olympics was level one,” said Nina Roth, “now it’s time to bring it home.”

After qualifying for the playoffs, Team USA felt a renewed sense of energy that was much needed after the inevitable fatigue that coincides with a 13-game round robin.

The energy was enough to win the qualification game against Denmark with a draw to the button on Tabitha Peterson’s last rock, but Team USA’s resiliency was put to the test after falling short to the top-seeded Swiss team in the semi-final matchup.

A refusal to let the same game beat them twice, combined with patience and capitalizing on opportunities were key in Sunday’s bronze medal game against Sweden.

Starting the game without hammer and falling to a 0-2 deficit against the reigning Olympic Gold Medalists was just the beginning of the trials Team USA would face in the bronze medal game.

With an opportunity to draw the four-foot to score two in the fourth end, Tabitha Peterson’s draw came up short and the United States only scored a single.

A well-played fifth end resulted in a steal of one for the United States, which was answered by a Swedish deuce to open the second half of the game, but the United States refused to let up.

“Even if we’re in a slump or things aren’t going our way, we find energy working with one another to rally and bounce back,” said Nina Roth.

The seventh end was the turning point for Team USA, as Anna Hasselborg, skip of Team Sweden, threw her final rock through the house leaving Tabitha Peterson an open run-back to score five points and put the United States at a 7-4 advantage.

The United States proceeded to force Sweden to a single point in the eighth end and score a pair in the ninth end, resulting in Sweden’s concession and a 9-5 victory for the United states.

“All the little things,” said Tabitha Peterson when asked what got the team to this point. “We did as much as we could with the circumstances we were given and tried to do all the little things to make sure we left it all out on the ice.”

For Tabitha Peterson, Nina Roth, Becca Hamilton, Tara Peterson, and Aileen Geving, those little things added up to the first ever World Women’s Curling bronze medal for the United States.

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USA Curling is sponsored by Toyota, Goldline, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Brakebush, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), Sitrin, and is partnered with IHG, Rock Solid Productions Inc., 12th End Sports Network, Laurie Artiss Ltd. – The Pin People, and United Airlines.