(NEXSTAR) – Matt Hamilton, a gold medalist from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, is reflecting on the growth of curling in the United States as the 2026 Winter Olympics begin in Italy. The 2018 victory marked the first time a U.S. team won a gold medal in the sport.
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Hamilton reflected on the significance of the 2018 victory. It was only the second Olympic medal ever for the U.S. in men’s curling. “First ever gold medal for the United States in curling, but you really don’t realize the repercussions of a gold medal until after the fact,” Hamilton said.
He described the victory as “an amazing experience, amazing memory and just unparalleled feeling of accomplishment after you get that gold medal.”
Since that historic win, curling has seen a surge in awareness and an increase in the number of clubs across the country. He now monitors the progress of the next generation of athletes representing the U.S. on the world stage.
The sport has expanded to warm-weather states like Florida, Arizona and Texas. Hamilton credited a strong junior program for preparing new athletes for the national level. “They have a chance to be Winter Olympians in a location that doesn’t really feel conducive to curling.”
Hamilton’s curling career began in middle school. While his father initially suggested the sport, Hamilton said he was more interested in soccer and hockey until a friend invited him to try curling. “I needed a peer to really like push me over the edge and get into it,” Hamilton said. “And once I started playing, the blend between strategy, teamwork, the physicality of sweeping, and like the finesse of throwing a rock…it was the perfect sport for me.”
This year, a team led by Danny Casper is representing the U.S. in Italy after defeating Hamilton’s team during the Olympic trials. “It’s their turn to get after it. I had such a great experience,” Hamilton said of the new representatives.
He noted that while the team is “green” regarding international men’s championships, they performed well under pressure at the trials.
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Hamilton said he hopes to remain involved in the sport’s development. “I have very high hopes for curling and where it’s going because the United States has a great program,” Hamilton said. He mentioned potentially serving as a mentor or consultant for future U.S. curling efforts.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published
