TEAM USA COMPETES AT WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES IN MEN’S, WOMEN’S, MIXED DOUBLES
Photo by: Jarah Lemus
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, January 13, 2025] — The 2025 FISU World University Games got underway this past weekend in Torino, Italy, and the United States is represented in Women’s, Men’s, and Mixed Doubles.
These Games are the top level of global sporting competition for university student athletes. Competitors represent their nations and territories rather than a university or institution, and the Games are open to any athlete who is an active student or graduated in 2024, and aged between 18 and 25 years old at any point in 2025.
Mixed Doubles started on Saturday. The United States is represented by Sara Olson and Coleman Thurston, and coached by Dave Jensen. Olson wore the red, white and blue at last year’s World Junior Women’s-B Championship, while Thurston was part of Team USA at the 2023 World Junior Men’s Championship. Olson and Thurston faced a tough field that included Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Norway, and Switzerland. The team started with two one-point losses to Great Britain and Canada, and finished the event at 1-6.
In Women’s play, Andie McDonald leads her team of Teagan Thurston, Abby Lin, Riley Samarzja, and Addison Neill into competition. They will face an international field that includes Canada, China, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Korea, and Sweden. The American women are coached by Madison Bear.
On the Men’s side, Team Hebert (Caden Hebert, Jackson Bestland, Jack Wendtland, Jack Armstrong, Connor Kaufmann), winners of the U18 Boys Nationals in 2023 and 2024, will test themselves against international competition that includes Canada, China, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Korea, Sweden,, Switzerland, and Ukraine. The American men are coached by Mike Peplinski.
“The FISU World University Games have been important to the development of many elite curlers in this country,” said USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell. “We look forward to watching these teams test themselves against international competition.”
ESPN+ will provide coverage of the Games from January 18-23, with plans for tape-delayed broadcasts of the Men’s and Women’s gold medal games to be shown on January 20th and 21st.
About USA Curling
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA Curling is the National Governing body for the Olympic sport of curling and the Paralympic sport of wheelchair curling in the United States. The mission of USA Curling is to grow, strengthen, and advocate for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of curling in the United States by prioritizing accessibility and programmatic development from grassroots to podium. USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Toyota, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), Rock Solid Productions, Jet Ice, and Laurie Artiss. USA Curling is a proud member of the World Curling Federation and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. To learn more, visit usacurling.org.
