With one big shot, Team USA — powered by Minnesotans — stuns Sweden for first curling gold

Team United States reacts after defeating Sweden 10-7 to win the Curling Men's Gold Medal game on day fifteen of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Curling Centre on February 24, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
United States team celebrate during the men's curling finals match against Sweden at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. United States won gold. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
John Shuster of the United States reacts during the game against Sweden during the Curling Men's Gold Medal game on day fifteen of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Curling Centre on February 24, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
John Shuster of the United States delivers a stone against Sweden during the Curling Men's Gold Medal game on day fifteen of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Curling Centre on February 24, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
United States' Matt Hamilton, right, and John Landsteiner, second from right, looks as the Sweden's Christoffer Sundgren, left, and Rasmus Wranaa sweep ice during the men's curling finals match at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. United States won gold. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Team United States reacts after a game against Sweden during the Curling Men's Gold Medal game on day fifteen of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Curling Centre on February 24, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
United States's followers celebrate their team winning the men's final curling match against Sweden at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Team Sweden brush in front of the stone during the curling men's gold medal game between the USA and Sweden during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Curling Centre in Gangneung on February 24, 2018. (WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images)
United States's skip John Shuster, below, reacts during the men's final curling match against Sweden at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Fans celebrate during the men's curling finals match against United States and Sweden at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. United States won gold. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Sweden's Rasmus Wranaa, right, watches the stone during the men's curling finals match against United States at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. United States won gold. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Sweden's Niklas Edin strows the stone during the curling men's gold medal game between the USA and Sweden during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Curling Centre in Gangneung on February 24, 2018. (WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images)
USA's John Shuster brushes in front of the stone during the curling men's gold medal game between the USA and Sweden during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Curling Centre in Gangneung on February 24, 2018.(FRANCOIS-XAVIER MARIT/AFP/Getty Images)
United States's fans cheer their team skip during the men's final curling match against Sweden at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
John Shuster of the United States lines up a shot against Sweden during the Curling Men's Gold Medal game on day fifteen of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Curling Centre on February 24, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Matt Hamilton of the United States reacts during the game against Sweden during the Curling Men's Gold Medal game on day fifteen of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Curling Centre on February 24, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Sweden's skip Niklas Edin reacts during the men's final curling match against United States at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
United States's skip John Shuster reacts during the men's final curling match against Sweden at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
From left, United States' curling team Joe Polo, John Landsteiner Matt Hamilton, Tyler George and skip John Shuster celebrate during the medals ceremony after winning against Sweden in their men's curling finals match at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Gold medal winners from left: United States' curlers Joe Polo, John Landsteiner, Matt Hamilton, Tyler George, John Shuster and captain Phill Drobnick sing the national anthem during the men's curling venue ceremony at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
United States's skip John Shuster holds his gold medal after winning the men's final curling match against Sweden at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea – John Shuster let the stone glide down the sheet, and it took less than a second for everyone in Gangneun Curling Center to grasp what had happened. There were still two ends to play, but an incredible five-point shot was all Shuster and his team needed to capture the United States’ first-ever Olympic title, capping an incredible comeback for the Americans at these Pyeongchang Games.

The United States topped Sweden 10-7 in the gold medal match of the men’s curling tournament Saturday afternoon. The win marked only the second Olympic medal the United States has ever won in curling and the first since 2006.

Even reaching the finals felt like quite an accomplishment for the American team, considering the way it started this tournament. The United States, which featured Shuster as skip alongside teammates Tyler George, Matt Hamilton and John Landsteiner, opened up round-robin play with a 2-4 record but managed to claw back into contention, eventually ousting Canada, 5-3, in a semifinal on Thursday. Entering the tournament, Canada had reached the gold medal match at five straight Olympics, winning the past three. But Shuster’s team topped them twice before then taking down the tournament’s second-ranked team in the Olympic final, stringing together five straight wins along the way.

In a tactical, intense final match-up, Sweden was just as tough as advertised. Sweden took bronze at the Sochi Games four years ago and was the runner-up at last year’s world championships. Clearly, the Swedes, with Niklas Edin as skip, had their eyes set on gold this time.

After Sweden jumped up 2-0 in the second end, the United States bounced back in the third, knocking two potential Swedish stones off the board and giving the Americans two points. They’d pick up their first lead of the game with a score in the fourth. With Ivanka Trump, daughter of President Donald Trump, watching from the stands, the two sides swapped the lead over the next couple of ends.

They were tied at 5-apiece after seven. That’s when Shuster came up with his magical throw, the biggest the United States had ever seen – and it happened to come when they needed it most. On his final shot of the eighth end, Shuster knocked two Swedish points off the board, leaving an incredible five American stones in the circle.

Sweden picked up two more in the ninth but couldn’t dig itself out of the hole.

Shuster happens to have played a key role in both of the United States’ Olympic curling medals. He played lead for Pete Fenson’s rink when that team won the bronze at the Turin Games.

Shuster is a Chisholm native now living in Superior, Wis., Landsteiner, George and alternate Joe Polo are from Duluth; and Hamilton is from McFarland, Wis. They’re coached by Phill Drobnick of Eveleth, Minn.

Forum News Service contributed to this report.

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