Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin, better known as Cory and Korey, became two of the breakout stars for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy amid their pursuit of the mixed doubles gold medal in curling.
The pair defeated the team from Italy on Monday, February 9, to reach the finals in their first Olympic Games competing together.
Cory and Korey started playing mixed doubles together during the 2022-23 curling season, when they won the gold at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship. Four years later, the close friends lean on the trust they’ve developed in each other to deal with the high stress of Olympic competition.
“I trust and believe in her to make anything in front of her,” Korey told The Athletic after his partner made the final shot to send Team USA to the gold medal match. “It was just about executing when it was needed the most.”
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Their names, tight bond and success on the ice has led fans to wonder whether Cory and Korey are more than just teammates. Keep scrolling for everything to know about the duo:
Are Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin Dating?
No, Cory and Korey are not dating. They are longtime friends after meeting on the junior curling circuit as teenagers.
Cory Thiesse Is Married and Korey Dropkin Is Engaged
Cory married her husband, a Morgan Stanley financial advisor named Sam Thiesse, in 2022. Korey is engaged to Gabby Tachis, who worked for USA Curling from 2022 to 2024, according to her LinkedIn account. Gabby is now a purchasing coordinator for Innovative Office Solutions.
Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin Both Have Regular Jobs
In keeping with the amateur roots of the Olympic Games, Cory and Korey both have 9-to-5 jobs. Cory is a lab technician at mercury-testing lab North Shore Analytical who needed to request time off to compete in the Olympics. Korey, meanwhile, is a licensed realtor with RE/MAX Results.
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Where Are Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin From?
Cory and Korey are former classmates at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, though they didn’t team up until years later. Cory is a Duluth native, while Korey is originally from Southborough, Massachusetts, and relocated to Minnesota in 2013 to pursue curling.
“Korey and I have been really good friends for a long time,” Cory told the Duluth News Tribune in 2023. “Both of us living in Duluth, it works out well that we’re able to practice together. It seemed like a good fit and I was ready to try something new, and it worked out.”
Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin Are World Curling Champions
Cory and Korey competed together for four years before their Olympic debut, winning World Mixed Doubles championships together in 2023 and 2025.
Their 2023 championship, which came over Japan in the final, gave Team USA its first-ever gold in the event. Cory and Korey failed to qualify the next year after losing at the U.S. Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, but they returned in 2025, finishing in fifth — good enough to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
