Two-time Olympian Chris Plys, serving as third for John Shuster’s team, exudes quiet confidence as his squad prepares for the upcoming U.S. Olympic Curling Team Trials. The competition will determine who represents the United States at the Olympic Qualification Event in December and, potentially, at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
The five-day trials will showcase the nation’s top men’s and women’s curling teams, narrowing the field to one champion. That winner will advance to the Olympic Qualification Event in Kelowna, Canada, in 2025, seeking to claim one of the remaining two team spots for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
At 38, Plys has already represented the United States at Vancouver 2010 and Beijing 2022. The trials, however, bring new intensity and reflection as he approaches this decisive stage of his curling career.
“Even with a recent injury, I’m excited for the challenge ahead,”
he shared during the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee summit in New York in late October.
Chris Plys approaches the U.S. Olympic Curling Team Trials with renewed drive, aiming to secure another chance to represent the United States at the 2026 Winter Games.