Chris Plys Prepares for U.S. Olympic Curling Team Trials
Two-time Olympian and third for John Shuster, Chris Plys, feels quietly confident as his team prepares for the U.S. Olympic Curling Team Trials. The event will decide which team will represent the United States at the December Olympic Qualification Event and potentially at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina.
Significance of the Trials
The U.S. Olympic Curling Team Trials is a five-day competition featuring the nation's top men's and women's curling teams. The event will determine a champion who will then pursue one of the last two remaining Olympic quotas for the team events in February 2026.
Chris Plys’ Experience and Mindset
At 38 years old, Plys brings experience from his participation in the Vancouver 2010 and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Reflecting on the upcoming challenge, he expressed both excitement and determination despite recently dealing with an injury.
"I’m really enthusiastic about this challenge," Plys said during the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) summit in New York at the end of October.
Path to the Olympics
- First, teams compete in the U.S. Olympic Curling Team Trials to secure a spot for the Olympic Qualification Event in Kelowna, Canada, December 2025.
- The successful team will then face the global field to earn one of two remaining team event quotas for the 2026 Winter Games.
Chris Plys and his teammates now focus on this crucial domestic competition as their gateway to Olympic glory.
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