Joe Polo is a very famous Curler in the United States of America. He came to light after winning a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics.
Considered one of the top Curlers in the States, he was an alternate of the men’s team that won the gold medal at the Olympics.
The American curler has been playing the game for over a decade now. He started his professional career with Pete Fenson’s team as the second.
He currently plays for Korey Dropkin’s team as the team’s third. Along with the team, he won the 2021 curling championship.
In addition, Polo is a partner with Tabitha Peterson for mixed doubles. They have been playing together for six seasons now. Along with his partner, he is the 2020 mixed doubles champion.
Furthermore, he was once a skip in the 2017-18 season with Derek Benson as lead, Jared Zezel as a second, and Jeff Curie as a third.
Before more details about Joe Polo’s life, let’s get through some quick facts about him.
Quick Facts
Full Name | Joseph Polo |
Known As | Joe Polo |
Birth Date | December 10, 1982 |
Birth Place | Duluth, Minnesota |
Country | United States |
Religion | Unknown |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
Education | Engineering Degree |
Horoscope | Sagittarius |
Father’s Name | Not known |
Mother’s Name | Not known |
Siblings | Not known |
Age | 41 Years Old |
Height | 1.75 m |
Weight | 88 kg |
Hair Color | Black |
Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Build | Athletic |
Profession | Curler |
Current Status | Active |
Team | Bemidji CC |
Position | Third |
Active Years | 2002-present |
Marital Status | Married |
Wife | Kristin Polo |
Kids | 1; Ailsa Polo |
Net Worth | $6 million |
Social Media | |
Merch of Winter Olympics (USA Curling Team) | T-shirt |
Last Update | November 2024 |
Joe Polo | Early Life, Education
The American curler was born on December 10, 1982, in Duluth, Minnesota, in the United States of America. He grew up in Floodwood, Minnesota, and later moved to Cass Lake.
At 10, he learned how to curl in the Bemidji Curling Club’s Sunday Night Junior League near Bemidji.
Concerning his education, Polo completed his degrees at Bemidji State University and the University of North Dakota.
In addition, he is a certified engineer and works as a project manager.
Joe Polo | Height And Weight
The American curler, Joe Polo, weighs about 88 kg, around 194 lbs, and is about 5 feet 7 inches (1.75 m) in height.
Joe Polo has an athletic build and exercises regularly to maintain his physique. He follows his workout routine strictly to keep his body healthy.
Joe Polo | Professional Career
Early Career
First, Polo joined the Juniors Curling team and later transitioned from the juniors team to the men’s team.
Before moving to the men’s team, he played as an alternate for Kristopher Perkovich-led team consisting of Jason Smith, Jeff Isaacson, and Tom Scott.
Later, the team won a bronze medal at the 2003 World Junior-B Curling Championship.
Polo later joined Jason Smith-led team as a third and Zach Jacobson-led team in his last season before moving to the men’s team.
After the transition to men’s, Polo joined Pete Fenson’s team as a second of the group.
Championship
Polo started his curling career with Pete Fenson’s team as second of the group. Also, the team consisted of Pete Fenson as a skip, John Shuster in the lead position, and Shawn Rojeski in the third position.
The team won the 2005 National Championships and the United States Olympic trials ahead of the 2006 Winter Olympics.
In addition, as a result of the win in the National Championship, they represented the United States at the 2005 World Men’s Curling Championship.
In the World Championship, they missed the playoff after losing a tiebreaker game to Norway’s Pal Trulsen and placed in the 6th position.
At the 2006 Olympics, team Fenson reached the semifinals but lost to Brad Gushue-led team Canada.
Later, they defeated David Murdoch-led team Great Britain and won the bronze medal in the Olympics.
Likewise, Polo won and successfully defended its 2006 National Men’s Championship title with team Fenson. As a result, they earned another chance to compete in the World Championship.
They won the fourth position in the World Championship, losing to Thomas Ulsrud’s led team Norway.
Polo extended his stay with the Fenson team for another eight seasons as the team’s second. Furthermore, he later went on to win the United States Men’s Championship three more times.
Polo and their team skip Fenson, Rojesky, and Ryan Brunt participated in the 2011 Continental Cup of Curling.
The group later participated in the 2011 U.S. Nationals and won the gold medal in the competition. In addition, the team remained undefeated in the tournament.
Similarly, Polo represented the United States with team Fenson at the 2011 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship and finished in 10th place.
With Team Shuster
Polo joined the John Shuster-led team after Team Fenson as a full-time alternate at the start of the 2016-17 season.
The group consisted of Tyler George as a third, Matt Hamilton as second, and John Landsteiner as a lead.
Polo went on to win his sixth U.S. title with Team Shuster at the 2017 United States Men’s Championship. Later, the team finished fourth at the 2017 World Championship.
Polo later secured his second Olympics appearance with Team Shuster after beating Heath McCormick-led team in a best-of-three final series.
Historic Win
PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics was a rollercoaster ride for Polo and his team, probably the most memorable one.
The U.S. team lost their first four matches out of six games and needed a win in all of the remaining matches to have a chance to qualify for the playoffs.
The chances for the win were so deemed that the remaining teams were the top four. Interestingly, the U.S. team won all the remaining matches, finished third place, and entered the semifinals.
Later in the semifinals, the team defeated Kevin Koe‘s team Canada and reached the finals. And in the finals, they defeated Niklas Edin-led team Sweden and won the gold.
Polo helped team USA get the Olympic gold medal in Curling for the first time in history.
Joe Polo played for team Shuster for two seasons. He led a team consisting of Jeff Currie as third, Jared Zezel as second, and Derek Benson as lead for the 2018-19 season.
In the following season, Polo joined Korey Dropkin and led the team as an alternate. The group consisted of Tom Howell as third, Mark Fenner as second, and Alex Fenson as a lead.
In his first season with the squad, he got the fifth position on the team at the 2020 United States Men’s Curling Championship.
While in his second with the team, he won the 2021 United Stated Men’s Curling Championship with the team.
Mixed Doubles
Polo participated at the United States Mixed Doubles World Trials after teaming up with Tabitha Peterson in 2016.
They won the tournament, finishing with a fantastic record of 9-1 wins. As a result, they got the chance to represent the USA in the 2016 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship.
Polo with Peterson won a bronze medal, defeating Team Scotland consisting of Bruce Mouat and Gina Aitken. Since their first partnership, they continued to play in Mixed doubles.
They continued their brilliant partnership and won a silver medal at the 2017 U.S. Mixed Doubles Championship, where they lost to Matt and Becca Hamilton in the final.
Polo and Peterson participated at the 2019 U.S. Championship and remained undefeated during the round-robin section but ultimately lost to Cory Christensen and John Shuster in the semifinals.
However, the next year, they defeated the Christensen and Shuster team and earned their first mixed doubles title in the U.S.
Hence, they participated in the 2020 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship and the 2021 U.S. Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials.
The tournament was canceled due to COVID-19 a month before, and later the 2021 World Championship was held, where Polo and Tabitha earned the 8th spot.
Joe Polo | Relationship
The American Curler is a married man. His wife’s name is Kristin Polo. They also have a daughter together named Ailsa Craig.
Interestingly, their daughter’s name is named after an island of Scotland called Ailsa Craig, where granite is quarried to make curling stones.
Joe Polo | Social Media Presence
The 41-year-old curler is very private. He is not much into Instagram, but he has a Twitter account with 3,495 followers as of Dec 2021.
Many of his tweets are related to curling; check his Twitter handle for more tweets.
Besides curling, Joe enjoys hunting, fishing, sand volleyball, and frisbee.
Joe Polo | Net Worth
It has been about 22 years since Polo played curling professionally. Hence, he gathered a significant amount of fortune under his belt.
According to the source, Joe Polo’s net worth is estimated to be $6 million. Most of his net worth comes from his successful curling career.
He is even listed as a successful Curler born in the year 1982. And also one of the richest athletes born in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Joe Polo famous for?
Joe Polo is famous for his curling career. He is best known for winning a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics and being an alternate on the U.S. men’s team that won gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics.