CORTINA D鈥橝MPEZZO, Italy (AP) 鈥� Move over, 鈥� .鈥� The Americans just might have another bespectacled breakout star at the .
Indeed, throw in his mop of dark hair and American curler Aidan Oldenburg bears a striking resemblance to Stephen Nedoroscik, the eccentric gymnast who with his bronze medal-clinching pommel horse routine at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
With one obvious exception.
Switch on the curling at the Milan Cortina Games and you won鈥檛 be able to miss the 24-year-old Oldenburg because of his flowing, red, Rambo-style headband that the American men鈥檚 team base their celebrations around after making a big shot.
鈥淵ou鈥檒l see us drag our fingers across the forehead and point to the crowd,鈥� Oldenburg said. 鈥淵eah, it鈥檚 a really fun thing.鈥�
Curling fans in the United States have been donning headbands in honor of Oldenburg while holding watch parties during the Winter Games, U.S. team officials said. Fans inside the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium also were seen wearing them for the Americans鈥� 8-7 win over Czechia in their first match of the .
Oh, and Nedoroscik loves it, too.
鈥淚 just want to say I came across your story,鈥� Nedoroscik said in a he sent to Oldenburg posted by USA Curling on Wednesday, 鈥渁nd I found you to be such a cool, interesting dude.鈥�
So cool, in fact, that one of Oldenburg鈥檚 hobbies is juggling 鈥� and not just simple objects, either. He has been known to juggle machetes and flaming torches with his brother.
He鈥檚 also pretty .
Oldenburg works as an environmental scientist on permitting for wind and solar projects. It鈥檚 the headband that has made him a name in the curling community, though.
Oldenburg said he started wearing it 鈥渁s a bit of a joke鈥� in August after his team was eliminated from a curling tournament.
鈥淲e had two games left that we had to play,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was like, let鈥檚 have some fun. So an hour and a half before our game, I was like, I鈥檓 going to go buy some headbands, I鈥檒l have everyone wear them.鈥�
It was 鈥渉it and miss,鈥� Oldenburg said, but he persisted and wore one when his team 鈥� skipped by Danny Casper 鈥� won the U.S. Olympic trials and then in the Olympic qualification event in December that secured the Americans a spot in Italy.
鈥淚 was like, 鈥楪ot to keep it going after that,鈥欌�� he said with a smile.
Oldenburg plays the muscly lead for Team Casper so he does plenty of sweeping, and it鈥檚 sweaty business.
Lucky, then, that he has that headband.
鈥淣o one else has the hair for it on our team,鈥� Oldenburg said. 鈥淢y hair used to be longer than this. It鈥檚 all like a kind of utility and, honestly, it鈥檚 so hot out there in the arena, it helps to keep the sweat out of my eyes.鈥�
He thinks that U.S. curling fans can associate themselves more with the team by wearing the headband.
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 have easy access to team uniforms and stuff like that,” Oldenburg said. “In other sports like football or baseball, you go buy your favorite player鈥檚 uniform and wear it in the stands.
鈥淭he headband, it鈥檚 nice and it鈥檚 cheap. It鈥檚 pretty fun, too.鈥�
Oldenburg brought the fire against Czechia, whooping and hollering after big shots and winning ends. The U.S. rink is young and Oldenburg, Casper and teammates Ben Richardson and Luc Violette look like they’re having the time of their lives in Italy.
鈥淲e love curling when it鈥檚 loud out there in the stands,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he energy, we feed off it.”
That, and good-luck messages from the Pommel Horse Guy.
鈥淚f you guys ever need a plus one on your curling team,鈥� Nedoroscik said in his video to Oldenburg, 鈥渇eel free to reach out.鈥�
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