Team USA curler Rich Ruohonen has broken a Winter Olympics record simply with his age. Ruohonen, 54, subbed into a men's curling game during the 2026 Winter Olympics, making him the oldest American to compete in the Winter Games in nearly 100 years. Ruohonen has been competing in curling events since 1981. He first participated in the sport in the fifth grade, when he started playing Saturday mornings at the St. Paul Curling Club, according to his Team USA bio. Keep scrolling to see everything to know about Ruohonen: USA Skier Says It's 'Hard' Representing Country With 'Everything' Going On Rich Ruohonen Is a Lawyer Rich Ruohonen is from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and a graduate of Hamline University in St. Paul, where he studied law. When he's not curling, he works as "a partner at a law firm in Minnesota that specializes in representing victims of personal injury accidents with a speciality in car accidents and traumatic brain injuries," his bio reads. In 2001, Ruohonen served as fellow curler Jason Larway's attorney when they filed a complaint with the United States Olympic Committee and the United States Curling Association over Larway's eligibility to compete in that year's United States Olympic Curling Trials. After an arbitration process, Larway was offered and accepted an extra seventh spot at the Olympic Trials. Ruohonen's other interests include fishing, water sports and competitive softball. Rich Ruohonen Is Married Ruohonen is married to wife Sherry, with whom he shares two kids. David Berding/Getty Images Rich Ruhohonen Has Spoken Out Against ICE in Minnesota During his 2026 Winter Olympics run, Rich Ruohonen was outspoken about "what's going on" in his home state, seemingly referring to the heavy presence of armed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Minnesota. ICE agents and federal officers were involved in the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January 2026. "I'm proud to be here, to represent Team USA and to represent our country," Ruohonen said in a February 2026 interview. "But we'd be remiss if we didn't at least mention what's going on in Minnesota and what a tough time it's been for everybody. ... What's happening in Minnesota is wrong. There's no shades of gray." In another interview, Ruohonen said, "We're playing for the U.S. We're playing for Team USA. And we're playing for each other, and we're playing for our family and our friends that sacrificed so much to be here today. And that doesn't change anything." He continued, "Because what the Olympics means is excellence, respect, friendship, and we all, I think, exemplify that. And we are playing for the people of Minnesota and the people around the country who share those same values. That compassion, that love and that respect." Meet the Skier Who Ended Team USA's 50-Year Cross Country Medal Drought Rich Ruohonen Has Won Multiple U.S. Curling Championships Ruohonen won gold in the 2025 Sioux Falls Olympic Trials, as well as the United States Men's Curling Championships in 2008 and 2018. He also won three bronze medals and six silver throughout his career. Rich Ruohonen Is the Oldest Team USA Athlete to Compete in the Winter Olympics Rich Ruohonen served as an alternate for skip Danny Casper's team at the Milano Cortina Olympics and was called in to play during Team USA's second game of round-robin play on February 11, 2026. His participation in the game made him the oldest American to compete in any Winter Olympics. The title was previously held by Joseph Savage, who was 52 years old when he competed in pairs skating at the 1932 Winter Olympics.