At 35 years old, Matt Landsteiner, a three-time Olympian, announced his retirement from elite curling in a heartfelt social media message. He described stepping away as “a long, difficult, and heartfelt decision,” citing a desire to prioritize family and his full-time engineering career at Lake Superior Consulting over the intense commitment required for a run to the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Landsteiner played a key role as lead on John Shuster’s curling team in three Olympics, delivering the first two stones of each end. He was part of the historic squad—alongside Shuster, Tyler George, and Matt Hamilton—that captured the United States’ first Olympic curling gold in 2018. After those Games, George stepped away from top-tier curling and was replaced by Chris Plys, who had served as an alternate at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Hamilton, who debuted in 2018, remains on Shuster’s team. In recent seasons, Colin Hufman, an alternate in the 2022 Olympics, has taken an active role, while Landsteiner and Hamilton alternated as backups during major events. Most recently, Landsteiner served as the alternate when Team Shuster fell in the U.S. Championship semifinals this past winter their first national title loss since 2016.
The 2026 Olympic Trials are set for November in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The winner will earn a spot at a December qualifying tournament in Canada for the Milan-Cortina Games. Shuster, now 42 and aiming to tie the U.S. record for most Winter Olympic appearances at six, will move forward without his longtime teammate and fellow Duluth native.
Reflecting on his career, Landsteiner expressed deep gratitude: “Curling was the reason I went to college and settled in Duluth,” he wrote. “Joining John Shuster’s team changed my life. This sport took me across the globe and helped shape who I am. While I’m stepping away from elite competition, I’ll still be curling for fun.”
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