Team Peterson’s quest for the first U.S. women’s curling medal ended just short on Saturday as the Americans dropped the Olympic bronze medal game to Canada, 10-7, in Cortina D’Ampezza Italy. A two-point hammer throw in the ninth by skip Tabitha Peterson kept U.S. hopes alive, but Canada put i mmediate pressure on the Americans in the 10th, curling through and around U.S. guards to put as many as five stones in the house. Needing a perfect throw on her final shot — which she had done several times in these Milan Cortina Games — Peterson’s shot glanced off a blocker placed by Canada skip Rachel Homan and out of play. It was a crushing end for Team Peterson, which had a successful round-robin, finishing 6-3 and advancing to the semifinals after beating Switzerland in their final pool play game. Rachel Homan and Tracy Fleury of Team Canada celebrate after victory in the Women's Bronze Medal match between Team Canada and Team United States on day fifteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium on February 21, 2026 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. (Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images) The Swiss, however, won the rematch, and Team Canada — which lost to the U.S. for the first time in round-robin play — had the Americans chasing after the U.S. went up 3-2 in the fifth end. Team Peterson, which finished sixth at the Beijing Games in 2022, advanced to the semifinals for the first time, and second time for a U.S. team since 2002. The Americans had to settle for fourth place, tying that team for Team USA’s best finish at the Olympics. Canada, which won each of the past two World Championships, took control with a three-point hammer throw to erase a 3-2 deficit to end the sixth end. Peterson, who was terrific in Cortina, threw a two-point hammer to tie the score 5-5 in the seventh. But a terrific throw by third Tracy Fleury in the eighth knocked three U.S. stones cleanly out of the circle. Cory Thiesse knocked one out, but Homan used the final throw to put one back in the house for an 8-5 lead. Again, Peterson made a perfect hammer throw to salvage two points in the ninth and make it 8-7 and give the U.S. a chance to win or send the game to an extra frame in the 10th. But Canada peeled off three U.S. guards and filled up the circle, putting the Americans on their back foot, and they never recovered. Canada opened round robin play 1-3 before clawing back to nab a medal. “I’m really proud of our week and our fight,” Homan said. “We were never giving up right to the end, pulling for each other. And when things were hard we just pulled closer together and tried to figure out how to make the next one.” After a strong start to the Games, the U.S. lost three of its final four matches, and four of its final six, en route to the fourth-place finish. “I could not be prouder of all our players,” USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell said in a statement. Related Articles Olympic men’s hockey: Clash of the titans up next Lindsey Vonn has more surgery after Olympic crash Olympic hockey: U.S. crushes Slovakia, to play Canada for gold medal ‘Hotdog’ in the halfpipe! Alex Ferreira finally wins his Olympic gold US sets up gold-medal game against Canada at the Olympics by cruising past Slovakia ...read more read less