Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin are headed to the gold medal game.

Down one in the eighth end of Monday's semifinal, Thiesse stepped to the line to throw her hammer. She could have played a draw to the button for one that would force an extra end, but the Americans decided to take a risk. 

"Take an extra breath, do what you do best," Dropkin could be heard on the broadcast telling his teammate.

Thiesse, who shot 82 percent on the day, played a takeout of the Italian stone sitting on the four-foot, and rolled it off enough to tap the second Italy stone and sit just inches closer to button for a score of two that secured a 9-7 victory over the defending Olympic gold medalists.

Dropkin threw his hands up in celebration and the duo embraced in a hug to celebrate the biggest moment for U.S. curling in eight years.

By just making the semifinals, Thiesse and Dropkin had already secured the U.S. its best ever finish in mixed doubles curling. Now, they're guaranteed to leave Cortina with a medal. Thiesse will become the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic medal.

It was a match full of momentum swings as both teams made great shots and costly mistakes. 

In the second, Stefania Constantini's double takeout attempt missed by inches, setting up an easy draw to the button by Thiesse to even the score at 2-2.

They stole two more in the third, but the U.S. bounced back in the fourth. With two American stones sitting on the button, Amos Mosaner attempted to bump one out but missed, rolling the stone out and instead setting up a draw for three for Team USA. Thiesse's hammer throw did what it was supposed to, and the U.S. went into the halfway break up, 5-4.

Through four ends, both Thiesse and Dropkin were shooting 94 percent, while Italy was shooting a combined 75 percent.

Italy tied the game again with a single point in the fifth. 

It was the first time the U.S. had two options for their hammer throw: go for the easy draw to the button for one, or the more difficult takeout for two. The Americans chose the latter, and their risk paid off. Thiesse got the takeout to give her team a 7-5 lead with two ends to play.

Seemingly the first mistake of the match for the Americans came on the U.S.'s third stone of the seventh. Sliding down the ice, Dropkin burned the rock and had to take it off the sheet, setting up an house empty of U.S. stones for Italy. On the penultimate throw, Mosaner's rock formed a straight line of Italian stones across the house with just one rock remaining for the U.S. Thiesse took one out, but Constantini got the draw, giving her team three and an 8-7 lead going into the final end.

Mosaner and Dropkin finished with 10 takeouts each. 

The U.S. shot a combined 84 percent, and hit 93 percent of draw shot attempts.

With the win, the Americans will move on to face Sweden in the gold medal game.

SCOREBOARD

One big end was all Sweden needed to take down the defending world champions and advance to the gold medal game of the mixed doubles curling competition of the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.

Sweden broke the game open for good in the sixth. With the score tied, 3-3, Great Britain's final throw sailed through the house, allowing a draw-shot by Isabella Wrana for five points and an 8-3 Swedish lead.

It was the most points Great Britain allowed in a single end all tournament.

Sweden led throughout the match. Down 2-1 in the third, Great Britain's Jennfier Dodds tried for a double-takeout on her hammer throw, but after hitting the two Swedish stones it didn't sit, running past the button to allow Sweden to take a two-point lead going into the fourth.

Through three ends, Sweden was shooting 92 percent, whereas Great Britain was only shooting 72 percent.

In the seventh, Dodd's final shot again missed, allowing a steal of one more by Sweden.

Great Britain conceded the final end, sending Sweden to the gold medal game.

It was just the second loss in Cortina for Great Britain after starting the Games 7-0. Dodds and Bruce Mouat, the defending world champions will now play in the bronze medal game.

Sweden's brother/sister duo Isabella and Rasmus Wrana will play in the gold medal game, both for their first time and for Sweden's first time in mixed doubles.

SCOREBOARD