Story highlights USA beat Russian duo 9-3 in curling

Winter Olympics opening ceremony Friday

(CNN) It is not exactly the height of the Cold War, but there is always a frisson when the USA meets Russia as it did in the opening curling match of the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Even though the opening ceremony doesn't take place until Friday in PyeongChang, some events are already under way and the USA defeated their Russian counterparts in the new discipline of mixed curling.

It wasn't close, either, with brother and sister duo Matt and Becca Hamilton sweeping to a 9-3 win over Anastasia Bryzgalova and Aleksandr Krushelnitckii.

Russia as a nation isn't competing in South Korea, having been banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in December in the aftermath of the McLaren Report

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