At 54, Rich Ruohonen Becomes Oldest American Winter Olympia...

At 54, Rich Ruohonen Becomes Oldest American Winter Olympian in Historic Debut

Rich Ruohonen, a 54-year-old curler from Minnesota, made history on Thursday as the oldest American Winter Olympian to compete in the Games.

Representing Team USA in men’s curling, Ruohonen officially became an Olympian after being subbed into a preliminary match against Switzerland due to Team USA being down.

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Although the team lost 8-3, Ruohonen’s debut marked the culmination of a decades-long journey.

Ruohonen’s curling career began in fifth grade, and he has represented the U.S. in two World Championships (2008, 2018).

Over four decades, he has only taken one season off, balancing his passion for curling with a career in law.

Despite seven previous attempts to make the Olympic team, Ruohonen’s perseverance finally paid off in 2026.

At 54, Rich Ruohonen Becomes Oldest American Winter Olympian in Historic Debut was originally published on 1075thefan.com