Shuster avoids elimination in quest for repeat Olympic gold
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Defending Olympic gold medalist John Shuster is still in the running for a fifth straight trip to the Winter Games.
Shuster’s team, which returned three of the four members of the Pyeongchang champions, beat Team Dropkin in Game 2 of the best-of-three finals at the U.S. curling trials Saturday night. Korey Dropkin’s foursome won the opener on Friday night.
It was a familiar position for Shuster, who also lost Game 1 in the 2017 trials before rallying to win two straight and make it to his fourth consecutive Olympic Games. In Korea, Team Shuster fell to 2-4 in pool play before winning five straight must-win games to take the gold medal.
Shuster, who won a bronze medal at the Turin Games in 2006, is teamed with fellow 2018 Olympians Matt Hamilton and John Landsteiner. Chris Plys has joined the team to replacw Tyler George, who retired after the Pyeongchang Games.
Team Dropkin also includes two-time Olympian Joe Polo as well as Mark Fenner and Tom Howell. It was the only team to beat Shuster in pool play in Omaha.
