US curler Rich Ruohonen’s long, winding road to the Olympic Games

By Dana O’Neil, CNN

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy (CNN) — The first time Rich Ruohonen tried to make the US Olympic curling team, his current teammates weren’t born. They weren’t around when he made his second go at it, either – or the third for that matter.

Ruohonen is 54, twice the age of his oldest teammate, and has been trying to make an Olympic squad since 1988. Despite a resume stuffed with success – a two-time US Champion, a 2018 world champion – he could not grab onto the Olympic rings.

Some misses have been close – a final shot in 2021 with Jamie Sinclair to make the 2022 Beijing Games was the worst – and some not so close. He thought about not bothering anymore, doubled down on his law practice in 2022, but when Danny Casper – who was meant to lead the US in these Games – suffered last year from an autoimmune disease that made handling the stone impossible, Team USA needed a replacement.

The team turned to Ruohonen and, when Casper was able to return to competition, rewarded the Brooklyn Park, Minnesota-born athlete for his dedication by naming him a team alternate. That did not, however, mean he would actually get to play. But in the round-robin competition here on Thursday, the Olympic spirit finally gave Ruohonen his deserved rewards.

Team USA trailed Switzerland, 8-2, in a round-robin game heading into the eighth end and the Swiss were in their rights to end the game right there. Instead, Ruohonen asked if they’d mind if he just threw two stones to get his name in the history books.

“And they said, ‘Go enjoy the moment,’” said Ruohonen, adding that he not only played against some of the Swiss team members, but he’d also competed against their dads. “I’d rather been up 8-2, but they said right away, ‘Hey, we’re going to get Rich in.’”

Ruohonen swapped in for Aidan Oldenburg, and like Kirk Gibson called to pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth, threw two perfect stones.

The Americans still lost, 8-3, to drop to 1-1 in round-robin play, but Ruohonen not only made the Olympics, but also made history in the process. He is officially the oldest American to compete in the Winter Games.

“He deserves it,” Casper said. “He’s been on this ride with us and he’s had a lot of tries at it. It was nice to see someone achieve their dream and put a smile on their face.”

Casper admits that Ruohonen is as much team dad as teammate. The other curlers – 24-year-old Casper, 24-year-old Oldenburg, 27-year-old Ben Richardson and 26-year-old Luc Violette – love nothing more than ribbing him about his dad jokes and discourage him from attempting to make TikToks.

“He’ll be like, ‘What about this?’” Casper said. “And we’re just like, ‘No.’”

But Ruohonen also brings both curling and life perspective to the team. A personal injury attorney, Ruohonen wasn’t shy when asked about what was happening in his home state at a press conference here.

Stressing that he was proud to represent the United States and loved his country, he added that he wasn’t happy with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minneapolis.

Told after the Switzerland game on Thursday that Tom Homan, Donald Trump’s border czar, announced that he will end the immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota, Ruohonen, already emotional after his Olympic moment, expressed his relief.

“I’m glad it’s over and I hope we can heal as a state and recover from what’s happened and come together and show the love, and respect and empathy and integrity like we have in Minnesota, frankly,” he said.

“It’s OK when athletes voice their opinions and I think we should. We have freedom of speech for a reason in our country, and you don’t have to agree with everything everybody says.

“I want to make it clear. We love our country. We love the US. We love what the flag represents. We do. It’s just not what’s happening in Minnesota and in places across the country.”

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