{{Short description|American curler (born 1987)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Infobox curler | image = WJCC 2009 - m - USA.jpg | caption = Plys delivering a stone at the [[2009 World Junior Curling Championships]] | birth_name = Christopher Plys | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|8|13}} | birth_place = [[Duluth, Minnesota]], U.S. | height = {{cvt|1.85|m|0|order=flip}}<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |title=Chris Plys |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pl/chris-plys-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203195212/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pl/chris-plys-1.html |archive-date=December 3, 2016}}</ref> | Curling club = [[Duluth Curling Club|Duluth CC]], <br> [[Duluth, Minnesota|Duluth, MN]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.usacurling.org/national-team |title=USA Curling National Team Athletes |website=USA Curling |access-date=May 17, 2024}}</ref> | Skip = [[John Shuster]] | Third = '''Chris Plys''' | Second = [[Colin Hufman]] | Lead = [[Matt Hamilton (curler)|Matt Hamilton]] | Alternate = | Member Association = {{USA}} | World Championship appearances = 8 ({{WMCC|2009}}, {{WMCC|2018}}, {{WMCC|2019}}, {{WMCC|2021}}, {{WMCC|2023}}, {{WMCC|2024}}, {{WMCC|2025}}, {{WMCC|2026}}) | Pan Continental Championship appearances = 2 ({{PCCC|2024}}, {{PCCC|2025}}) | Olympic appearances = 2 ([[Curling at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's tournament|2010]], [[Curling at the 2022 Winter Olympics|2022]]) | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | [[Curling]] }} {{MedalCountry| {{USA}} }} {{MedalCompetition | [[Pan Continental Curling Championships|Pan Continental Championships]] }} {{MedalSilver | [[2025 Pan Continental Curling Championships|2025 Virginia]] | }} {{MedalBronze | [[2024 Pan Continental Curling Championships|2024 Lacombe]] | }} {{MedalCompetition | [[World Junior Curling Championships|World Junior Championships]]}} {{MedalGold | {{WJCC|2008|2008 Östersund}} | }} {{MedalBronze | {{WJCC|2009|2009 Vancouver}} | }} {{MedalCompetition | [[World University Games|World University Championships]]}} {{MedalGold | [[2007 Winter Universiade|2007 Pinerolo]] | }} {{MedalCompetition | [[United States Men's Curling Championship|US Men's Championship]]}} {{MedalGold| {{USMCC|2019|2019 Kalamazoo}} | }} {{MedalGold| {{USMCC|2020|2020 Cheney}} | }} {{MedalGold | {{USMCC|2023|2023 Denver}}|}} {{MedalGold | [[2024 United States Men's Curling Championship|2024 East Rutherford]] | }} {{MedalGold | [[2026 United States Men's Curling Championship|2026 Charlotte]] | }} {{MedalSilver | {{USMCC|2011|2011 Fargo}} | }} {{MedalSilver | {{USMCC|2013|2013 Green Bay}} | }} {{MedalSilver | {{USMCC|2018|2018 Fargo}} | }} {{MedalBronze | {{USMCC|2014|2014 Philadelphia}} | }} {{MedalBronze | {{USMCC|2015|2015 Kalamazoo}} | }} {{MedalBronze | [[2025 United States Men's Curling Championship|2025 Duluth]] | }} {{MedalCompetition|[[United States Olympic Curling Trials|US Olympic Trials]]}} {{MedalGold|[[2021 United States Olympic Curling Trials|2021 Omaha]]|}} {{MedalSilver|[[2017 United States Olympic Curling Trials|2017 Omaha]]|}} {{MedalSilver | [[2025 United States Olympic Curling Trials|2025 Sioux Falls]]|}} {{MedalCompetition | [[United States Mixed Doubles Curling Championship|US Mixed Doubles Championship]]}} {{MedalGold | [[2021 United States Mixed Doubles Curling Championship|2021 Wausau]] | }} {{MedalSilver | {{USMDCC|2019|2019 Seattle}} | }} {{MedalBronze| [[2023 United States Mixed Doubles Curling Championship|2023 Kalamazoo]] | }} {{MedalCompetition|[[United States Mixed Doubles Curling Olympic Trials|US Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials]]}} {{MedalGold|[[2021 United States Mixed Doubles Curling Olympic Trials|2021 Eveleth]]|}} }}
'''Christopher Plys''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|l|aɪ|z}}; born August 13, 1987) is an American [[curling|curler]] from [[Duluth, Minnesota]]. He currently plays [[Third (curling)|third]] on Team [[John Shuster]]. He is a [[World Junior Curling Championships|World Junior Champion]] and five-time [[United States Men's Curling Championship|National Men's Champion]]. He was the alternate for the United States men's team at the [[2010 Winter Olympics]] and a member of both the men's team and the [[doubles curling|mixed doubles]] team at the [[2022 Winter Olympics]].
==Career== Plys started curling in 1998 at the age of eleven.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Blount |first=Rachel |date=January 14, 2009 |title=New face in curling already a mainstay |work=Star Tribune |url=https://www.startribune.com/new-face-in-curling-already-a-mainstay/37482869/ |access-date=May 20, 2020}}</ref> He competed at seven [[United States Junior Curling Championships|Junior National Championships]] in a row, winning five of them, including four in a row as [[Skip (curling)|skip]] to finish his junior career. This gives him more junior national titles as skip than any other junior male. As US Champion, he competed at four World Junior Championships. In his first, [[2006 World Junior Curling Championships|2006]], Plys took ninth place in [[Jeonju|Jeonju, South Korea]]. The next year, in [[2007 World Junior Curling Championships|2007]], he took fifth place in [[Eveleth, Minnesota]]. And finally in [[2008 World Junior Curling Championships|2008]], Plys won the gold medal in [[Östersund|Ostersund, Sweden]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 10, 2008 |title=Curling: Duluth-based team wins world championship |work=Duluth News Tribune |url=https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/2371774-curling-duluth-based-team-wins-world-championship |access-date=May 20, 2020}}</ref> At his final Junior Worlds in [[2009 World Junior Curling Championships|2009]] he again medaled, taking the bronze. Plys also competed at the [[2007 Winter Universiade|World University Games in 2007]], in [[Pinerolo|Pinerolo, Italy]], playing [[Second (curling)|second]] on [[John Shuster]]'s gold medal team. Early in his men's career, Plys was twice invited to be alternate on Shuster's team at international events, at the [[2009 World Men's Curling Championship|World Championship in 2009]] and the 2010 Winter Olympics. At the Olympics, he was called in to skip the team (in place of Shuster) during [[Curling at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's tournament#Draw 6|draw 6]] after the US team suffered four losses in a row, and led the team to a 4–3 victory over France after a 10th end steal. Following the Olympics, Plys was drafted onto [[Tyler George]]'s team, where he threw third rocks (and sometimes fourth). The George team finished as runners-up in the [[2011 United States Men's Curling Championship|2011]] and [[2013 United States Men's Curling Championship|2013]] national championships. In 2014, Plys moved to third on [[Heath McCormick]]'s team, which placed third in the [[2014 United States Men's Curling Championship|2014]] and [[2015 United States Men's Curling Championship|2015]] national championships, and second in both the [[2017 United States Olympic Curling Trials|2017 Olympic Trials]] (to Shuster) and [[2018 United States Men's Curling Championship|2018 national championships]].
After winning gold at the [[2018 Winter Olympics|2018 Olympics]], Tyler George, who had moved to Shuster's team, took a hiatus from curling, and Plys replaced him at third. Team Shuster then won the [[2019 United States Men's Curling Championship|2019 national championships]] and represented the US at the [[2019 World Men's Curling Championship]], where they finished in fifth place. They defended their United States title at the [[2020 United States Men's Curling Championship|2020 United States Men's Championship]], defeating [[Rich Ruohonen]] in the final to finish the tournament undefeated.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schneider |first=Angela |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/feb/15/john-shuster-caps-unbeaten-run-through-usa-curling/ |title=John Shuster caps unbeaten run through USA Curling Nationals with win over Rich Ruohonen in final |date=February 15, 2020 |work=The Spokesman-Review |access-date=February 19, 2020}}</ref> The national title would have earned Team Shuster a spot at the final [[Grand Slam of Curling|Grand Slam]] of the season, the [[2020 Champions Cup|Champions Cup]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Curling/Features/2020/February/12/Ruohonen-Joins-Shuster-in-Top-Page-Game |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213215042/https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Curling/Features/2020/February/12/Ruohonen-Joins-Shuster-in-Top-Page-Game |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |title=Ruohonen Joins Shuster in Top Page Game |date=February 12, 2020 |website=USA Curling |access-date=February 13, 2020}}</ref> as well as the chance to represent the United States at the [[2020 World Men's Curling Championship]], but both events were cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/curling/2020/03/14/mens-curling-world-championship-in-scotland-cancelled-due-to-covid-19.html |title=Canadian curling continues to get hammered by novel coronavirus cancellations |date=March 14, 2020 |website=The Star |language=en |access-date=April 27, 2020}}</ref>
Team Shuster represented the United States at the [[2021 World Men's Curling Championship]], which was played in a fan-less bubble in [[Calgary]] due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There, the team led the U.S. to a 10–3 round robin record, in third place.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 14, 2021 |title=Canada eliminated from men's curling worlds with tense loss to Scotland |work=CBC |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/curling/curling-worlds-canada-april-9-1.5981781 |access-date=April 11, 2021}}</ref> They played Switzerland in the playoffs, in a game which was delayed a day due to some curlers initially testing positive (including Plys himself)<ref>{{cite tweet |user=chrisplys |number=1381756235431677954 |date=April 12, 2021 |title=Unbelievable that I learn for sure that my test was a false positive via Twitter.}}</ref> for the virus, but later testing negative (it was later revealed that they were all false positives). In the game, Switzerland, skipped by [[Peter de Cruz]], beat the Americans to advance to the semifinals.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://worldcurling.org/2021/04/wmcc2021-qualification/ |title=Scotland and Switzerland advance to semi-finals |publisher=World Curling Federation |author=Michael Burns |date=April 11, 2021 |access-date=April 11, 2021}}</ref>
==Personal life== Plys is the owner of Plys Superior Consulting. As of 2025, he is engaged.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.curling.ca/files/2025/03/2025-BKT-World-Mens-Curling-Championship-media-guide-V1.pdf|title=2025 World Men's Curling Championship Media Guide|website=Curling Canada|access-date=24 March 2025}}</ref>
==Teams== ===Men's=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! scope="col"| Season ! scope="col"| Skip ! scope="col"| Third ! scope="col"| Second ! scope="col"| Lead ! scope="col"| Alternate ! scope="col"|Coach ! scope="col"| Events |- ! scope="row"| 2002–03 | Jesse Gates || Jeff Thune || Kevin Johnson || [[Shane McKinlay]] || Chris Plys || Larry Barott || 2003 [[United States Junior Curling Championships|USJCC]] {{Gold1}} |- ! scope="row"| 2003–04 | Chris Plys || [[Aanders Brorson]] || Kyle Coldagelli || Carl Ball || Matt Zbylut || Seppo Sormunen || 2004 USJCC (5th) |- ! scope="row"| 2004–05 | Aanders Brorson || Chris Plys || Mark Moore || Grant Rahn || Ryan Brown || Kent Brorson || 2005 USJCC (5th) |- ! scope="row"| 2005–06 | Chris Plys || Matt Mielke || Kevin Johnson || Tommy Kent || [[Aaron Wald]] || || 2006 USJCC {{Gold1}}<br/>{{WJCC|2006|2006 WJCC}} (9th) |- ! scope="row"| 2006–07 | Chris Plys || Aanders Brorson || [[Matt Perushek]] || Joel Cooper || || || 2007 USJCC {{Gold1}}<br/>{{WJCC|2007|2007 WJCC}} (5th) |- ! scope="row" rowspan=2| 2007–08 | Chris Plys || Aanders Brorson || Matt Perushek || [[Matt Hamilton (curler)|Matt Hamilton]] || || || 2008 USJCC {{Gold1}}<br/>{{WJCC|2008|2008 WJCC}} {{Gold1}} |- | [[John Shuster]] || [[Jeff Isaacson]] || Chris Plys || Shane McKinlay || [[Jason Smith (curler)|Jason Smith]] || || {{USMCC|2008|2008 USMCC}} (6th) |- ! scope="row" rowspan=2| 2008–09 | Chris Plys || Aanders Brorson || Matt Perushek || Matt Hamilton || || || 2009 USJCC {{Gold1}}<br/>[[2010 United States Olympic Curling Trials|2009 USOCT]] (8th)<br>{{WJCC|2009|2009 WJCC}} {{Bronze3}} |- | John Shuster || Jason Smith || Jeff Isaacson ||[[John Benton (curler)|John Benton]] || Chris Plys || Brian Simonson || {{WMCC|2009|2009 WMCC}} (5th) |- ! scope="row"| 2009–10 | John Shuster || Jason Smith || Jeff Isaacson || John Benton || Chris Plys || || [[Curling at the 2010 Winter Olympics|2010 OG]] (10th) |- ! scope="row"| 2010–11 | [[Tyler George]] || Chris Plys || [[Rich Ruohonen]] || [[Phill Drobnick]] || || || {{USMCC|2011|2011 USMCC}} {{Silver2}} |- ! scope="row"| 2011–12 | Tyler George || Chris Plys || Rich Ruohonen ||[[Colin Hufman]] || || || {{USMCC|2012|2012 USMCC}} (8th) |- ! scope="row"| 2012–13 | Chris Plys (Fourth) || Tyler George (Skip) || Rich Ruohonen || Colin Hufman || || || {{USMCC|2013|2013 USMCC}} {{Silver2}} |- ! scope="row" rowspan=2| 2013–14 | Chris Plys (Fourth) || Tyler George (Skip) || Rich Ruohonen || Colin Hufman || [[Craig Brown (curler)|Craig Brown]] || || [[2013 United States Olympic Curling Trials|2013 USOCT]] (4th) |- | [[Heath McCormick]] || Chris Plys || Rich Ruohonen || Colin Hufman || || || {{USMCC|2014|2014 USMCC}} {{Bronze3}} |- ! scope="row"| 2014–15 | Heath McCormick || Chris Plys ||[[Joe Polo]] || Colin Hufman ||[[Ryan Brunt (curler)|Ryan Brunt]] || || {{USMCC|2015|2015 USMCC}} {{Bronze3}} |- ! scope="row"| 2015–16 | Chris Plys (Fourth) ||[[Pete Fenson]] (Skip) || Joe Polo || Jason Smith || || || {{USMCC|2016|2016 USMCC}} (7th) |- ! scope="row"| 2016–17 | Heath McCormick || Chris Plys ||[[Korey Dropkin]] || [[Tom Howell (curler)|Tom Howell]] || || || {{USMCC|2017|2017 USMCC}} (6th) |- ! scope="row" rowspan=2| 2017–18 | Heath McCormick || Chris Plys || Korey Dropkin || Tom Howell || Rich Ruohonen<br/>(USOCT) || || [[2017 United States Olympic Curling Trials|2017 USOCT]] {{Silver2}}<br>{{USMCC|2018|2018 USMCC}} {{Silver2}} |- | [[Greg Persinger]] (Fourth) || Rich Ruohonen (Skip) || Colin Hufman || [[Philip Tilker]] || Chris Plys || Phill Drobnick || {{WMCC|2018|2018 WMCC}} (6th) |- ! scope="row"| 2018–19 | John Shuster || Chris Plys || Matt Hamilton ||[[John Landsteiner]] || || || {{USMCC|2019|2019 USMCC}} {{Gold1}}<br>{{WMCC|2019|2019 WMCC}} (5th) |- ! scope="row"| 2019–20 | John Shuster || Chris Plys || Matt Hamilton || John Landsteiner || || [[Sean Beighton]] || {{USMCC|2020|2020 USMCC}} {{Gold1}} |- ! scope="row"| 2020–21<ref>{{cite web |title=Team Shuster Returns |url=https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Curling/Features/2020/May/13/Team-Shuster-Returns |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622151655/https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Curling/Features/2020/May/13/Team-Shuster-Returns |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 22, 2020 |website=USA Curling |accessdate=May 13, 2020 |date=May 13, 2020}}</ref> | John Shuster || Chris Plys || Matt Hamilton || John Landsteiner || Colin Hufman || Sean Beighton || {{WMCC|2021|2021 WMCC}} (5th) |- ! scope="row"| 2021–22 | John Shuster || Chris Plys || Matt Hamilton || John Landsteiner || Colin Hufman || || [[2021 United States Olympic Curling Trials|2021 USOCT]] {{Gold1}} <br> [[Curling at the 2022 Winter Olympics|2022 OG]] (4th) |- ! scope="row"| 2022–23 | John Shuster || Chris Plys || Matt Hamilton || John Landsteiner || Colin Hufman || Phil Drobnick || [[2023 United States Men's Curling Championship|2023 USMCC]] {{Gold1}} <br> {{WMCC|2023|2023 WMCC}} (8th) |- ! scope="row"| 2023–24 | John Shuster || Chris Plys || Colin Hufman || Matt Hamilton || John Landsteiner || Theran Michaelis || {{USMCC|2024|2024 USMCC}} {{Gold1}} <br> {{WMCC|2024|2024 WMCC}} (6th) |- ! scope="row" rowspan=2| 2024–25 | John Shuster || Chris Plys || Colin Hufman || Matt Hamilton || John Landsteiner || Theran Michaelis || {{PCCC|2024|2024 PCCC}} {{Bronze3}} <br> {{USMCC|2025|2025 USMCC}} {{Bronze3}} |- | Korey Dropkin || [[Thomas Howell (curler)|Thomas Howell]] || [[Andrew Stopera]] || [[Mark Fenner]] || Chris Plys || [[Mark Lazar]] || {{WMCC|2025|2025 WMCC}} (11th) |- ! scope="row"| 2025–26 | John Shuster || Chris Plys || Colin Hufman || Matt Hamilton || || Theran Michaelis || {{PCCC|2025|2025 PCCC}} {{Silver2}} <br> {{USMCC|2026|2026 USMCC}} {{Gold1}} <br> {{WMCC|2026|2026 WMCC}} () |}
===Mixed doubles=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! scope="col"| Season ! scope="col"| Female ! scope="col"| Male ! scope="col"| Events |- ! scope="row"| 2016–17 | [[Aileen Geving]] || Chris Plys || {{USMDCC|2017|2017 USMDCC}} (12th) |- ! scope="row"| 2017–18<ref>{{cite web |title=Geving/Plys reach 2017 Twin Ports Mixed Doubles Classic Semifinals |url=https://www.curlingzone.com/event.php?view=Team&eventid=4921&teamid=116218&profileid= |website=CurlingZone |accessdate=May 20, 2020}}</ref> | Aileen Geving || Chris Plys || |- ! scope="row"| 2018–19 | [[Vicky Persinger]] || Chris Plys || {{USMDCC|2019|2019 USMDCC}} {{Silver2}} |- ! scope="row"| 2019–20 | Vicky Persinger || Chris Plys || {{USMDCC|2020|2020 USMDCC}} (5th) |- ! scope="row"| 2020–21<ref>{{cite web |title=Mixed Doubles Teams Announced |url=https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Curling/Features/2020/May/22/Mixed-Doubles-Teams-Announced |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622162216/https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Curling/Features/2020/May/22/Mixed-Doubles-Teams-Announced |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 22, 2020 |website=USA Curling |accessdate=May 22, 2020 |date=May 22, 2020}}</ref> | Vicky Persinger || Chris Plys || {{USMDCC|2021|2021 USMDCC}} {{Gold1}} |- ! scope="row"| 2021–22 | Vicky Persinger || Chris Plys || [[2021 United States Mixed Doubles Curling Olympic Trials|2021 USMDOT]] {{Gold1}} <br> [[Curling at the 2022 Winter Olympics – Mixed doubles tournament|2022 OG]] (8th) |- ! scope="row"| 2022–23 | Vicky Persinger || Chris Plys || {{USMDCC|2023|2023 USMDCC}} {{Bronze3}} |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{World Curling}} * {{Team USA|new_id=chris-plys-874785|old_id=PL/Chris-Plys|archive=20221119201605}} * {{Olympedia}} * {{Olympics.com|name=Christopher Plys}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20220315070434/https://results.beijing2022.cn/beijing-2022/olympic-games/en/results/curling/athlete-profile-n1034612-christopher-plys.htm Christopher Plys] at the [[Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics]] (archived) * {{cite web |url=http://www.conciergequestionnaire.com/q.php?id=181 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100227022206/http://www.conciergequestionnaire.com/q.php?id=181 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 27, 2010 |title=The Concierge Questionnaire-Chris Plys Interview |website=ConciergeQuestionnaire.com |date=October 1, 2009 |accessdate=January 31, 2010}} * {{Instagram}}
{{Footer World Junior Curling Champions (men)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plys, Chris}} [[Category:1987 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American male curlers]] [[Category:Olympic curlers for the United States]] [[Category:Curlers at the 2010 Winter Olympics]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Duluth, Minnesota]] [[Category:Medalists at the 2007 Winter Universiade]] [[Category:Continental Cup of Curling participants]] [[Category:Winter World University Games medalists in curling]] [[Category:American curling champions]] [[Category:FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States]] [[Category:Competitors at the 2007 Winter Universiade]] [[Category:Curlers at the 2022 Winter Olympics]] [[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]