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Korey Dropkin was at his fist-pumping, arm-waving best on Friday, doing his best to get the American fans — including rapper Snoop Dogg — to feed off his energy in a lively Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
Unfortunately for Canada’s Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman, Dropkin’s curling game was on point too.
Dropkin and mixed doubles partner Cory Thiesse scored three points in the seventh end as the U.S. topped Canada 7-5 in round-robin play at the Winter Games.
“We just didn’t really get a jump on the ice and we were just on the heavy side on a few shots,” Gallant said.
It was the first loss of the competition for the Canadians, who fell to 3-1.
Britain’s Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds moved to 4-0 with a 7-4 win over Sweden’s Isabella Wrana and Rasmus Wrana. The Americans were the only other unbeaten team at 3-0.
Canada was idle for the afternoon session. There was no evening draw on the schedule due to the Games’ opening ceremony.
Feeding off the Olympic energy in his first career appearance at the Games, Dropkin made a double-takeout for a pair in the second end. The animated 30-year-old pointed up at the American fans in the wooden stands beside the sheet and felt the love in return.
WATCH | Gallant, Peterman fall to U.S.:
Canada’s Gallant and Peterman fall to U.S, suffer 1st loss of Olympic mixed doubles curling tournament
Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin of the United States defeat Canada’s Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman 7-5  at the Milano-Cortina Winter Games. The Americans stay perfect with a 3-0 record while the Canadians drop to 3-1.
“That was probably the loudest we’ve seen it, so maybe a little surprising for a morning game, but it was a lot of fun,” Peterman said. “It really forced us to use our hand signals and make sure that we were communicating as best we could.”
Peterman made a double-takeout in the fourth end to tie the game at three. She delivered again in the fifth with a draw that forced the Americans to throw their final stone away and take a single.
Dropkin went to work after that, stifling a Canadian power play in the sixth end with a control-weight triple takeout that limited his opponents to one point.
The U.S. used its power play in the seventh and Dropkin made a double-takeout and stuck his shooter. He bounded off the ice and shouted excitedly at his coaches.
“I got pretty fired up after that one,” Dropkin said. “It was fun feeding off the crowd there. Just a wild game.”
Since many local fans departed after host Italy completed a 12-4 rout of Switzerland, the American-heavy crowd made their voices heard. The spectators included Dropkin’s mother, Shelley, who explained the sport to Snoop Dogg from their seats in the grandstand.
Canada tried to generate some offence with hammer in the eighth but could only manage a single.
“That was a great game,” Dropkin said. “We’ll probably see them later on, but a big dub.”
After the game, some members of the American four-player teams joined Snoop Dogg on the ice for a fun throw.
Sporting a white “Coach Snoop” toque, dark sunglasses and a jacket with the faces of Thiesse and Dropkin emblazoned on the front, the NBC special correspondent got into the hack with a stone and even tried some gentle sweeping.
“We saw his jacket that we were on, which was awesome,” Thiesse said. “And yeah, just so cool to be able to meet him and to have him here supporting us.”
Defending champions Amos Mosaner and Stefania Constantini of Italy moved to 2-1 after their win over Yannick Schwaller and Briar Schwaller-Huerlimann, which left the Swiss at 2-2.
Sweden was also 2-2, followed by Estonia (1-2) and Czechia, South Korea and Norway (all 0-3).
Competition continues through the medal games on Tuesday. Traditional four-player team play begins Wednesday and continues until the final day of the Games on Feb. 22.
Canada missed the podium in mixed doubles at the Beijing Games in 2022. Canada’s John Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes won gold when the discipline made its Olympic debut in 2018 at Pyeongchang, South Korea.