South Dakota is now on the road to the Winter Olympics.
The city of Sioux Falls is set to host trails for Team USA Olympic curling, officials announced this week.
Sioux Falls has a curling club that has been active for over ten years. The club, Sioux Falls Sports Authority, the city and Denny Sanford Premier Center officials worked together to secure the bid to host the trails.
Thomas Lee is the president of the Sioux Falls Sports Authority.
“The trials will not only showcase the important and incredible talent of our nation’s top curlers, but also provide an unparalleled opportunity to highlight Sioux Falls on the national stage. We look forward to welcoming athletes, spectators, and curling enthusiast from across the country to our vibrant city,” said Lee.
Lee said his organization outbid multiple cities for the opportunity. The serious contenders where Omaha, Cedar Rapids, and Boston.
South Dakota previously hosted ski jumping Olympic trails in 1932. The trials took place in Canton ahead of the Lake Placid Olympics - the first winter games hosted in the United States.
Dean Gemmell is the CEO of USA Curling. He said the sport brings people together.
“No sport does more to bring a community together than a curling club - where you can have people with all stripes, all income levels, all ideologies come together and play this game and have great conversations afterward. So, I hope that if we leave a legacy here, it's fueling that drive for the Sioux Falls people,” said Gemmell.
Gemmell said the Sioux Falls community support for sporting events was a major contributing factor to the final hosting decision.
The USA Curling Olympic Team trials take place Nov. 7-16, 2025.
The winning teams will represent the USA in Italy for the 2026 Olympic Games.
