CORTINA D’AMPEZZO – American Korey Dropkin was pumped up from the start of the mixed doubles competition at the Winter Olympics right through to the finish.
He’d wave his arms in the air to get the crowd going at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. He’d enthusiastically shout out after nice shots. Dropkin would pump his fists regularly and play for the cameras.
It provided an intriguing injection of spark and energy for the Roaring Game, a sport known for being one of the more staid competitions in the winter sports world.
Love them or hate them, Dropkin’s antics got the curling world talking.
“He lives and breathes on his emotions, and I think it’s great for the game,” American coach Phill Drobnick said Wednesday.
Two nights earlier, Dropkin and mixed doubles partner Cory Thiesse defeated defending champions Amos Mosaner and Stefania Constantini of Italy in the semifinals.
After shaking hands, Dropkin did a curling version of a pirouette, unleashing his inner Ric Flair by extending his arms out while slowly spinning down the sheet in celebration, taking in the cheers along the way.
Generally considered one of the nicer guys on the circuit, Dropkin is engaging, friendly and has a lot of supporters. But not everyone was on board with the elevated antics on the sport’s biggest stage.
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“Korey did what Korey felt was necessary, I guess,” said Canadian skip Brad Jacobs. “Watching it, to me, it seemed like it was a little bit over the top though.”
Dropkin didn’t let up in the gold-medal game against Sweden. With only a couple of ends left and the tension high, a voice from the American section of supporters bellowed for Dropkin to give the crowd a flex.
The 30-year-old curler was happy to oblige, pumping his biceps with a smile as he walked by the coach’s bench. The vocal U.S. fans in the crowd ate it up.
The final didn’t go the Americans’ way, however. The U.S. settled for silver when Isabella Wrana and Ramsus Wrana made a game-winning shot for a 6-5 victory.
“He’s a really great guy, and we’ve known each other for a long time, and we both respect and really like each other,” Rasmus said. “It’s just fun to play against (a guy like) that. I did a little bit of celebrating myself when we (made) that last shot.”
There was a time over a decade ago when Jacobs and then-teammates Ryan Fry, E.J. Harnden and Ryan Harnden ruffled a few feathers with their demonstrative play on the ice.
Unlike many of their peers, they brought a heightened intensity to the game and were not afraid to show their feelings.
“We certainly got lots of blowback 12 or 13 years ago when we were acting similarly — not quite that much — but hey, if you’re trying to grow the sport, if you want to step outside the box and do something different, it takes courage,” Jacobs said. “And to see it through takes even more courage. So, not a bad thing.”
Jacobs added that Dropkin curled “amazing,” noting he felt his confidence and attitude really helped the American duo.
“If I’m being honest, watching it, how it made me feel as a peer and a competitor, I think it was little bit much for me personally,” Jacobs said. “Now, having said that, maybe there were lots of people out there that loved it. Does curling need more of that? I think so.
“I don’t think that what Korey did — and his emotion and his antics out on the ice — I don’t think it was a bad thing. But as someone who’s been around the sport for a long time and is used to a little bit more of the traditional side of things, it was a bit much for me.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
