American · Chisholm, Minnesota, USA · Born 3 November 1982American curler who led Team USA to its first-ever Olympic curling gold medal in 2018, a comeback so improbable it became known as 'Miracurl,' after being publicly dropped from his national federation's elite program years earlier.
John Shuster was born on 3 November 1982 in Chisholm, Minnesota, and took up curling at 12 after watching his father's Thursday night league games, becoming U.S. Junior Champion in 2004. He played lead on Pete Fenson's rink at the 2006 Turin Olympics, winning bronze - the first-ever Olympic curling medal for the United States - before taking over as skip of his own team for the 2010 Vancouver Games, where he was benched mid-tournament for alternate Chris Plys after missing several crucial shots, and the team finished last. Shuster's team struggled again at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, finishing ninth, and he was subsequently cut from USA Curling's High Performance Program. Rather than give up, he formed a new team nicknamed 'The Rejects' with fellow cast-offs Matt Hamilton, John Landsteiner, and Tyler George, who went on to win the 2015 national championship and reclaim their spot in the program. At the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, Shuster's team lost five of their first six matches before mounting a stunning turnaround, beating both Canada and Sweden - including a decisive eighth-end double takeout against Sweden in the final that set up a five-point score - to win the United States' first-ever Olympic curling gold medal, a run dubbed 'Miracurl' by American media. Shuster became the only American curler with multiple Olympic medals, carried the flag for Team USA at the 2022 Beijing opening ceremony, and continued competing at a fifth consecutive Olympics in 2026, tying the U.S. record for most Winter Games attended. Off the ice, he co-owns a semi-professional soccer team in Duluth and has helped fuel a surge in American interest in curling since his 2018 triumph.
Leading Team USA to its first-ever Olympic curling gold medal in 2018, a comeback so unlikely it became known as 'Miracurl'
How They Played
Strategically sharp skip known for tactical composure under pressure and a mathematical, physics-driven approach to reading ice and shot selection
Lasting Impact
Regarded as the most influential figure in American curling history, whose 2018 gold medal sparked a surge of national interest in the sport and cemented his status as its most recognizable ambassador
Career Honours
- 2018 Olympic Gold Medalist - first-ever US curling gold
- 2006 Olympic Bronze Medalist - first-ever US Olympic curling medal
- Only American curler with multiple Olympic medals
- 5-time Olympian, tied for most Winter Games attended by a US curler
American Athletes