Why USA curling team has new captain Danny Casper in place of legendary John Shuster

The United States men's curling team gets its journey underway at the Winter Olympics this week.

There'll be something quite different about this group, though: John Shuster isn't there as the captain.

Instead, it's 24-year old Danny Casper calling the shots for the U.S.

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Why isn't John Shuster at the Olympics?

Shuster represented Team USA at the last five Winter Olympics, but Casper beat him out for this spot.

The U.S. holds Olympic Curling Trials, and at that event, Casper's team defeated the one captained by Shuster.

Who is Danny Casper?

Casper, the captain of the U.S. men's curling team, is a native of Westchester, N.Y.

He's 24 years old, and his great aunt (Carla Casper) competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics. Carla's husband Tom coached the U.S. men's curling team at the 1998 Olympics.

Casper began curling when he was 12 years old, according to NBC 4 New York.

Now, a dozen years later, he's in Italy to curl in the Olympics.

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